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PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Handbook
Welcome…
Welcome to the new Nikon Photographer’s
Handbook, your 224-page guide to helping you take
your Nikon digital SLR photography further. Whether
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We hope you enjoy reading this Nikon
Photographer’s Handbook and it helps you to
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Photo Techniques
15 fresh ideas for brilliant landscapes 46
32
Nikopedia
Capturing gesture and expression 146
Essential Kit
DX vs FX 178
Flashguns 214
SLR
Advice
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
20
7
8
32
8
SLR ADVICE
SLR ADVICE
[ NIKON ESSENTIALS ]
THE ULTIMATE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
PRE-SHOOT
CHECKLIST!
Setting up your Nikon before you
start shooting can save you time,
NIKON SKILLS
effort and maybe even using the
wrong setting. Here’s our essential
guide to setting up your Nikon
in advance for 10 of the most
common subjects and situations
ith all of the settings the day, and will ultimately result
W available on your
Nikon, thinking about
in more successful images.
Setting up your Nikon in
every one every time you shoot advance will enable you to think
isn’t the best approach to about the more creative decisions
getting great images. If only involved in taking a picture, such
NIKOPEDIA
there were a shortcut to setting as composition, rather than which
up your SLR for any subject. Well, exposure mode to choose.
there is – as long as you know We can’t be by your side every
what type of subject you will time you shoot, so we’ve come up
be shooting, we can help. with a checklist of settings you do
There are lots of things that need to concentrate on while
you can pre-set so you don’t have you’re shooting , and which you
to worry about them when you can set up in advance, for ten
start shooting. This will give you different shooting situations –
more time to focus on the settings plus a few more hints and tips
that you will need to change on to help you along the way...
ESSENTIAL KIT
9
THE ULTIMATE PRE-SHOOT CHECKLIST!
SLR ADVICE
HAND-HELD
speeds faster than 1/30 sec,
mode the aperture (in this case f/8 or 11) will camera shake can still affect
your shots. Try shooting
stay unchanged, but the shutter speed will from a kneeling position to
LANDSCAPES
There’s usually no hurry with landscapes,
change, increasing to let in less light and so
darken the exposure, or decreasing to let in
more light and brighten up the exposure.
help to stabilise your
camera, or if you are
standing, look for a solid
object such as a tree, wall or
rock to lean against to
When it comes to keeping the whole scene
but preparation can free your creative side sharp, you’ll need to move the AF point to an
steady yourself.
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
W
hile you might think you have
plenty of time to change the
SETTINGS sharp and the most distant one. Take a test
settings on your Nikon when CHECKLIST FOR shot and check the sharpness by zooming in
shooting landscapes, it can still be LANDSCAPES on the image on the LCD. If the subjects in
the far distance aren’t sharp you may need
a good habit to have it pre-set to help you FILE FORMAT greater depth of field than is available at f/8.
concentrate on the really important things RAW
EXPOSURE MODE Try setting the aperture to f/13 or even
when you’re on location.
Aperture-priority f/16, but do remember to keep an eye on the
APERTURE f/8 shutter speed. If this drops below 1/30 sec
THINGS YOU CAN PRE-SET ISO 200 when using, say, an 18mm lens on a DX
The settings you use for shooting landscapes SHUTTER SPEED
Set by camera camera (28mm on FX), you may need to raise
handheld are different to those that you
FOCUS MODE the ISO to enable you to use a faster shutter
would use when using a tripod. The main Single-servo speed to prevent camera shake. If your lens
thing you need to consider is the shutter DRIVE MODE
has Vibration Reduction, you might get away
speed dropping too low, as this increases Single shot
WHITE BALANCE with 1/15 sec or even 1/8, but if you go this
the risk of camera shake.
Daylight slow, steady yourself as much as possible,
NIKON SKILLS
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
NIKON SKILLS
the landscape, it’s difficult to keep detail in
[ SITUATION TWO ] both in a single shot: expose for the sky and
the landscape will be too dark; expose for the
LONG-EXPOSURE LANDSCAPES
If you’re planning to capture the sunrise or sunset, you don’t want to
landscape and the sky will be blown out. You
either have to find a compromise, or attach a
graduated neutral density filter to darken
ZDVWHDQ\RI\RXUWLPHRQORFDWLRQIDIÀQJDURXQGZLWKFDPHUDVHWWLQJV the brighter sky, and reveal colour without it
affecting the landscape, or you can take two
NIKOPEDIA
exposures (one for the sky and one for the
T
he settings you need to shoot sunrises
and sunsets are similar to those for
TYPICAL neutralise the warm colour cast. You may
need to change this on location to the cloudy
landscape) and merge them in Photoshop.
Your composition will also have an effect
other landscapes, but as the light can SETTINGS FOR or shade setting, though, depending on the on the exposure indicated by the metering of
change quickly, pre-setting the key SUNRISE AND lighting that you encounter – or in RAW your Nikon. If you include large expanses of
controls will help you get the best results. SUNSET software later on. bright sky or the sun in the frame, Nikon’s
You’ll want to set the ISO to 100 or 200 to Matrix metering system will, by default,
FILE FORMAT
THINGS YOU CAN PRE-SET RAW get the best image quality, although this will recommend an exposure that will expose the
It’s best to set your Nikon to manual mode to EXPOSURE MODE mean you’ll have to use a slow shutter speed. sky as an average mid-tone, and so will
get the best results in the challenging Manual As such, a tripod and remote release are under-expose the foreground or landscape.
lighting conditions of sunrise or sunset. You APERTURE f/16 essential for this type of shot. When you are Also, when changing the exposure for
can also pre-set a small aperture, as this will ISO 100 using a tripod, turn off vibration reduction to landscapes, avoid changing the aperture, as
SHUTTER SPEED
give you a large depth of field – but not too prevent it activating when the camera is this will affect the depth of field. Instead set
Slower than 1/30 sec
small, or you run the risk of lens diffraction FOCUS MODE fired, as this can cause the image to be a slower shutter speed to adjust the
ESSENTIAL KIT
softening your shots. Around f/16 is a good Manual blurred. The autofocus will struggle in the exposure, while keeping ISO at 100 or 200.
starting point. DRIVE MODE low light conditions, so select manual focus. When the landscape isn’t lit directly by the
One reason for shooting at sunset is to Single shot sun you can find that the colours look too
capture the warmer light, so even if you’re WHITE BALANCE SETTINGS TO CHANGE ON THE DAY cool. In this situation, you can change white
shooting in RAW, it’s best to set the white Daylight Setting the best exposure is the biggest balance to cloudy or shade to warm things
balance on your Nikon to daylight, rather challenge when shooting at sunrise or up, but do check that this doesn’t make the
than automatic, as the latter will try to sunset. As the sky is much brighter than colours in the sky or clouds look too warm.
REFLECTORS
[ SITUATION THREE ] If you are shooting with a
light source such as a
PORTRAITS
circumstances, use a
reflector to bounce light
back onto the subject. This is
much simpler and more
Get your camera ready to shoot in some flattering than using flash.
RIWKHPRVWÁDWWHULQJOLJKWDYDLODEOH
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
S
peed and connecting with the subject
are the keys to capturing great people
TYPICAL
shots. This means that the fewer SETTINGS FOR
settings you have to think about while WINDOW-LIT
you’re shooting, the better chance you have PORTRAITS
of getting the perfect portrait. While you’ll
FILE FORMAT
usually have more control over the RAW
conditions when shooting indoors, that’s EXPOSURE MODE
no reason to go in unprepared. Aperture-priority
APERTURE
f/2.8 or wider
THINGS YOU CAN PRE-SET ISO 800 or higher
Having your camera set up so you can get SHUTTER SPEED
shooting straight away will also make the 1/125 sec or faster
FOCUS MODE
whole process more enjoyable for your Single servo
subject, as even a professional model will get DRIVE MODE
NIKON SKILLS
bored while waiting for you to get ready, and Single shot
this can show in their expressions and WHITE BALANCE
Automatic
attitude to the shoot.
As with most portraits, getting the right
depth of field is the key to successful indoor
portraits, so start by setting your camera to
aperture-priority mode, and selecting a wide
aperture such as f/2.8 or f/4. This will
produce a shallow depth of field, to help blur
details in the background, which can often be
distracting when shooting indoors. Even
though aperture is the most important
setting, you also need to use a shutter speed SETTINGS TO CHANGE ON THE DAY
FILL-IN FLASH
fast enough to avoid blur from both camera Even though the autofocus system in most Shooting in bright sunlight
shake and subject movement. As such, it’s Nikons will get accurate results in most can produce harsh shadows
conditions, if you’re taking photographs in a on faces, so try using flash to
worth pre-setting a high ISO, say around 800,
NIKOPEDIA
GETTING THE RIGHT DEPTH OF FIELD cause the camera to over-expose the
subject, so in that case you should set
IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL INDOOR exposure compensation to -1. If the
PORTRAITS, SO START BY SETTING YOUR background is much brighter than the
CAMERA TO APERTURE-PRIORITY MODE subject it will cause the portrait to be under-
AND SELECTING A WIDE APERTURE exposed, so you’ll need to set the exposure
compensation to a positive value.
12
SLR ADVICE
SLR ADVICE
[ SITUATION FOUR ]
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
OUTDOOR PORTRAITS
While variable lighting conditions can present challenges,
you can still set up your camera in advance
E
ven though you can’t predict the exact to blur the background, so you can set the
lighting conditions that you’ll be aperture to f/2.8 or f/4, although you may
working in when you plan a shoot need to adjust this when you are shooting to
outdoors, having some basic settings give more or less depth of field.
pre-set on your Nikon will help with your As long as the subject isn’t likely to be
outdoor portrait shots. moving around you should set the focusing
mode to single-servo, and select the
THINGS YOU CAN PRE-SET single-point area mode. Then, all you need to
For most outdoor portraits you’ll find that do on the day is position the focus point over
ISO200 will give you high-quality images, and the face or eyes of your subject.
NIKON SKILLS
still enable you to use a shutter speed fast
enough to avoid blur from camera shake or SETTINGS TO CHANGE ON THE DAY
subject movement. If you position your subject to the left or right
Just like when you’re taking window-lit of your frame during your shoot, you may find
portraits, you should set your Nikon to that you can’t select an AF point that
aperture-priority mode as this will give you corresponds to their position within the
complete control over the depth of field. frame. In these situations you will need to
Using a wide aperture such as f/2.8 will help either switch to manual focus, or use focus
to blur the background, while a narrower lock. In AF-S focus mode, all you need to do
aperture such as f/8 will keep more of the to use focus lock is position the subject so
scene sharp. For most portraits you will want they ‘re in the selected focus point area, then
press the shutter release half-way until the
TYPICAL focus indicator appears in the viewfinder.
SETTINGS FOR Then, while still half-pressing the shutter
release, recompose your shot and fully
WINDOW-LIT press the shutter release to take your shot.
PORTRAITS
NIKOPEDIA
You may also need to adjust the exposure,
FILE FORMAT depending on the lighting conditions that you
RAW find yourself shooting in. In darker conditions
EXPOSURE MODE
you may need to increase the ISO to enable
Aperture-priority
APERTURE f/4 you to set a shutter speed fast enough to
ISO 200 avoid camera shake, and blur from subject
SHUTTER SPEED movement. You will also need to set some
1/200 sec
FOCUS MODE
exposure compensation if there is a light or
Single servo dark background: if the background is much
DRIVE MODE darker than the subject you will need to set
Single shot exposure compensation to a negative value,
WHITE BALANCE
Daylight
such as -1, to avoid the subject being
over-exposed, while if it’s brighter than the
subject you should use a positive value, such
ESSENTIAL KIT
13
THE ULTIMATE PRE-SHOOT CHECKLIST!
SLR ADVICE
[ SITUATION FIVE ]
STUDIO FLASH
You can pre-set a great deal when you’ve
got full control over shooting conditions
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
U
sing flash as your only light source
means that the colour and lighting
TYPICAL
effects are much more controllable SETTINGS FOR
and consistent than they are when STUDIO FLASH
using a natural light source such as sunlight. FILE FORMAT
This means that you can confidently pre-set RAW
many of the settings on your Nikon. EXPOSURE MODE
Manual
APERTURE f/8
THINGS YOU CAN PRE-SET ISO 100
When you’re using studio flash as your only SHUTTER SPEED
light source you have to use manual mode, 1/200 sec
FOCUS MODE
as none of the automatic exposure modes
Manual
will work with studio flash. Once you’ve DRIVE MODE
selected manual mode you can also set the Single
shutter speed to the fastest flash sync WHITE BALANCE
Flash
NIKON SKILLS
many settings that you need to alter on the speed at all, as this won’t affect the exposure colour temperature of many flashguns will
of your images. vary slightly when you change the power
To get the colours absolutely spot-on you setting, and it can also be altered by different
WHEN YOU’RE USING STUDIO FLASH AS YOUR ONLY LIGHT can use the custom pre-set white balance light modifiers. So, if you change the lighting
SOURCE YOU HAVE TO USE MANUAL MODE, AS NONE option, rather than the flash setting. To use set-up or the power it’s worth doing another
OF THE AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE MODES WILL WORK this you need to position a white or grey card shot of the card, and using this to set the
in the same position as the subject that you white balance.
SLR ADVICE
LONG EXPOSURE
NOISE REDUCTION
Using long exposures can
increase the noise visible in
your shots. As such, at night
it’s best to use your Nikon’s
long exposure noise
reduction system. This does
mean that the total
exposure time will double for
each shot you take, though.
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
NIKON SKILLS
[ SITUATION SIX ]
you can use the viewfinder or switch to Live
View and zoom in on any of the brighter lights
TYPICAL
SETTINGS
NIGHT CITYSCAPES to gauge sharpness more accurately.
After you have focused manually on the
lights in your cityscape you’ll need to take a
FOR NIGHT
CITYSCAPES
AND TRAFFIC TRAILS
Getting everything ready before you head out will
test shot to check the exposure. If you use
the histogram display in these situations you
will often find that the bulk of the graph is
FILE FORMAT
RAW
EXPOSURE MODE
Manual
save you trying to change settings in near-darkness bunched to the left of the image. This is fine,
APERTURE f/8
though, as it indicates that there are large ISO 200
NIKOPEDIA
areas of the image that are dark, not SHUTTER SPEED
E
ven though there are sometimes street available, but they are a good starting point necessarily that the image is under-exposed. 30 secs
lights to help you see, it’s difficult to for many night shots. To check the overall exposure you should FOCUS MODE
Manual
change settings on your Nikon when Because the main light sources at night look at the right of the graph. There should DRIVE MODE
shooting cityscapes at night, so are street lights, car headlamps and other be a ‘tail’ that indicates the small amount of Single shot
pre-setting as many as possible will make it artificial lights, you should set the white highlights in the image, and this should just WHITE BALANCE
much easier to get great shots balance to the tungsten/incandescent reach the extreme right of the graph. If it Tungsten
pre-set. You may need to tweak this when doesn’t reach the end of the graph, the image
THINGS YOU CAN PRE-SET you process your images, so it’s also best to is under-exposed, and you need to use a
Before you set off on a night shoot in the city select RAW file format, as this gives you the longer shutter speed or increase the ISO. If it
you can pre-set many of the settings on your option of altering the white balance on your goes over the end of the graph there will be
Nikon. The combination of dark shadows and computer later. Finally, you should set some detail lost in the highlights; this is fine
bright highlights you’ll encounter means focusing mode to manual and drive mode to for the ‘hotspots’ of very bright lights, but if
that it’s best to set your camera to manual single shot, and enable long exposure noise the lights are really blown, you should use a
ESSENTIAL KIT
exposure mode, as the automatic modes will reduction in the shooting menu. faster shutter speed or reduce the ISO.
struggle to get the correct exposure. Once
you have selected manual exposure you can SETTINGS TO CHANGE ON THE DAY
set the shutter speed to around 30 secs and Although you’ll be shooting at night, the BECAUSE THE MAIN LIGHT SOURCES AT NIGHT ARE STREET
the aperture to f/8, and the ISO to 200. You lights of most city locations are just bright LIGHTS AND OTHER ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS, YOU SHOULD SET THE
might need to change these once you’re on enough to focus manually successfully. With WHITE BALANCE TO THE TUNGSTEN/INCANDESCENT PRESET
location and can see exactly what light is your camera on a tripod and fixed in position,
C
apturing the peak of the action when the shutter fully to take your shot. For most correct exposure. Increase the ISO until the
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Set by camera
you’re shooting fast-moving subjects moving subjects you should also set the ISO 800 or higher
aperture stays on constantly, and the
takes skill, timing and concentration, autofocus area mode to single-point, and SHUTTER SPEED exposure display disappears.
so you need to be sure that your select the central point where possible. 1/1000 sec You’ll also need to check that the 1/1000
settings are right before you start. Although this means that you will have to FOCUS MODE sec shutter speed is fast enough to freeze
Continuous
position the subject in the centre of the frame, DRIVE MODE
the movement of the subject. The best way is
THINGS YOU CAN PRE-SET this point gives the most reliable and accurate Continuous to take a test shot of the subject and see if
When you’re freezing moving subjects you focusing in poor light, giving the camera the WHITE BALANCE it’s sharp. If it’s not, set a faster shutter
need to be in control of your Nikon’s shutter best chance of tracking the subject. Automatic speed such as 1/2000 sec. But check the
speed, so start by selecting shutter-priority With fast-moving subjects you should set exposure at this faster speed, as you might
mode. Then set a fast shutter speed such as the drive mode to continuous, which means need to increase the ISO to allow you to use
1/1000 sec, although you may need to alter that your Nikon will take a series of images it, depending on the lighting conditions.
this, depending on the speed of the subject. when you hold down the shutter release. If there is sufficient light, you can select
To enable you to use a fast shutter speed Some Nikons have two continuous drive one of the off-centre focus points, which will
you’ll also need to set a high ISO in all but the modes, low and high speed – you should enable you to alter the composition of your
brightest of lighting conditions. The precise choose the high option if it’s available. shots by positioning the subject off-centre.
setting will depend on the amount of light, It’s also best to set the camera to JPEG file Whichever focus point you select, you will
but try ISO800 as a starting point. format to ensure that you get the maximum need to keep it positioned over the subject
NIKON SKILLS
When you can’t predict where the subject frame rate, and to clear the image buffer to allow the camera to track its movement.
will be moving accurately you’ll need to quickly when shooting.
pre-set continuous focusing (AF-C) mode on
your Nikon. In this mode the camera will SETTINGS TO CHANGE ON THE DAY WHEN YOU CAN’T PREDICT WHERE THE SUBJECT
continue to refocus all the time that you No matter how much you prepare, there are WILL BE MOVING ACCURATELY YOU’LL NEED TO PRE-SET
half-press the shutter release, allowing it to always some settings that you’ll need to CONTINUOUS FOCUSING (AF-C) MODE ON YOUR NIKON
track moving subjects. Then you simply press adjust when shooting. First you need to make
BACK-BUTTON FOCUSING
Many action photographers
use a technique called
back-button focusing to get
consistent results. On
high-end Nikons like the
D810 and D500, there is a
dedicated AF-on button,
which can be used to
NIKOPEDIA
SLR ADVICE
PRE-FOCUSING
Most sporting events such as
motor racing, mountain
biking or athletics take place
on a track, so you can awill
be. This means you can use a
technique known as
pre-focusing, where you
focus on the point where the
subject will be positioned
when you want to take your
shot. Then you follow the
subject in the viewfinder and
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
fire a short burst just as they
reach this pre-focused area.
NIKON SKILLS
using autofocus for most panning shots – but the day. For a successful panning shot you
[SITUATION EIGHT ] remember that you’ll need to set the focus need to find a viewpoint where you can see
on the area where your subject will be when the subject for as long as possible. This
PANNING SPORT
Capture all the high-speed action,
you want to shoot.
You should also pre-set the drive mode to
continuous shooting, or even high-speed
should include a section before you want to
take your shot and after it. Once you’ve found
a suitable viewpoint you’ll need to shoot a
whatever the sport or conditions, with continuous, if this is an option on your Nikon. few test shots to fine-tune your shutter
the right settings dialled into your Nikon This doesn’t mean that you need to take a speed choice. If there is too much blur in your
NIKOPEDIA
‘machine-gun’ approach to your panning images you should try a faster shutter speed,
shots, though; it’s better to fire in short while if the background is too sharp you
A
dding some blur can help to give your bursts of three to five shots just as the should try a slower shutter speed to get
action photographs a greater sense of
TYPICAL subject passes through the area that you a little more blur.
movement, but as with any action SETTINGS have already focused on. While you’re shooting these test images
photography, pre-setting your FOR PANNING Successful panning shots rely on choosing you should also just check your exposure,
camera will make it easier for you to FILE FORMAT the right shutter speed for the speed and especially if the background is much darker
concentrate on capturing the peak of the JPEG movement of the subject you’re shooting. For or lighter than the main subject. If the
action once on location. EXPOSURE MODE a fast-moving car or motorbike try 1/125 sec subject is too light you should set the
Shutter-priority as a starting point, while for slower-moving exposure compensation on your Nikon to a
APERTURE
THINGS YOU CAN PRE-SET Set by camera subjects, such as cycling, start with 1/30 sec negative value, such as -1, while if it’s too dark
Controlling the shutter speed is the key to ISO 200 – and you can go as slow as 1/8 sec for really use a positive value, such as +1.
adding blur to your panning shots, so you SHUTTER SPEED slow movement such as walking. Finally,
should set your Nikon to shutter-priority 1/30 sec shoot in JPEG, as this will enable you to
FOCUS MODE
ESSENTIAL KIT
mode. Because you will need to use a slow Manual shoot longer bursts without the risk of IF THERE IS TOO MUCH BLUR IN YOUR
shutter speed, you will normally need to use DRIVE MODE your card’s buffer maxing out.
a low ISO, too, so if you’re going to be Continuous
IMAGES YOU SHOULD TRY A FASTER
shooting in daylight set the ISO of your Nikon WHITE BALANCE
SETTINGS TO CHANGE ON THE DAY SHUTTER SPEED, WHILE IF THE
Automatic BACKGROUND IS TOO SHARP YOU
to ISO100 or 200. You can also set your Nikon As with any action and movement, you’ll
to manual focus, as it will give more need to be ready to react to the conditions, SHOULD TRY A SLOWER SHUTTER SPEED
consistent and predictable results than lighting and subject that you are shooting on
focus (see ‘Use Live View’, above, for more on speed, as camera shake can be a big problem
[ SITUATION NINE ] how to do this). when you’re shooting close-ups.
As many macro subjects will fill the frame If the shutter speed is too slow to allow
PHOTOGRAPHY
Be prepared to change your settings when
images. Switching to one of the white
balance presets will help you avoid this, but
you’ll need to set this on the day according to
but for a really stable platform you should
use a tripod. However, if there’s any wind, you
can find that subject movement is as much
the lighting conditions. of a problem as camera shake, and if that’s
you dip into the tiny world of macro You’ll want the best quality possible for the case, the only way to enable a faster
most close-ups, but as both camera shake shutter speed is to increase the ISO setting
G
etting great close-ups is all about and subject movement can make it on your camera – but beware of noise.
noticing the details, so the fewer
TYPICAL impossible to shoot at very slow shutter If you are shooting hand-held rather than
camera settings you need to think SETTINGS speeds, setting the ISO to 200 is a good on a tripod, you can change the drive mode to
NIKOPEDIA
about on the day, the more you can FOR MACRO compromise between image quality and continuous shooting and then shoot in short
concentrate on getting both the subject and FILE FORMAT allowing the camera to select as fast a bursts, as this will increase your chances
the background perfect. RAW shutter speed as possible. that at least one image will be sharp. This is
EXPOSURE MODE because even very small changes in the
THINGS YOU CAN PRE-SET Aperture-priority SETTINGS TO CHANGE ON THE DAY distance between the camera and the
APERTURE f/8
Just as when you’re shooting portraits, ISO 200 Choosing the right aperture – one which will subject will cause focus errors on many
depth of field is one of the most important SHUTTER SPEED keep as much of the subject as possible in hand-held macro shots; a burst will give you
considerations when it comes to macro 1/1000 sec focus but blur the background – is the key to a series of shots at a variety of minutely
FOCUS MODE
shots. Because of this, you should set your many successful macro images. So even different distances.
Manual
Nikon to aperture-priority exposure mode to DRIVE MODE though you can pre-set the aperture to a You’ll also need to check the white
give you control over the aperture setting. An Single shot commonly used setting such as f/8, you’ll balance on your Nikon to get accurate
aperture of f/8 is a suitable starting point for WHITE BALANCE often need to change this on the fly colours. If, for example, the light is falling on
Daylight
macro images, but you may need to alter this according to the subject that you are your subject through foliage, it will be
to achieve the right amount of depth of field shooting. When you are taking photographs greener than normal. This means that the
ESSENTIAL KIT
for your shots on the day. you should also keep an eye on the shutter normal pre-set values (or the automatic
It’s best to switch to manual focusing white balance, though we recommend
when shooting close-ups, as focusing is against that) won’t give the correct colours.
often critical for macro subjects, and using THE RIGHT APERTURE – ONE WHICH WILL KEEP AS MUCH In these situations it’s best to use the
manual, rather than automatic, focus will OF THE SUBJECT AS POSSIBLE IN FOCUS BUT BLUR THE custom pre-set white balance by shooting an
make it easier to get the precise area of the BACKGROUND – IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL MACRO SHOTS image of a white or grey card in the same
subject you want to be sharp absolutely in lighting as the subject you want to shoot.
SLR ADVICE
[ SITUATION TEN ] ILLUMINATING
THE CAMERA
STARSCAPES
Take a shot in the dark…
Rather than using a normal
flashlight to help you set up
your tripod and camera on
location, try using one with a
red filter over the bulb. Using
but make sure you’ve set a red light instead of bright
yellow or white will help your
XS\RXUFDPHUDÀUVW eyes adjust to the darkness
much more quickly.
Y
ou’ll need to find a really dark location
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
for successful starscapes, which
means that you won’t want to be
changing too many settings in the
pitch black, so setting up your Nikon in
advance can be a life-saver.
NIKON SKILLS
3200, the shutter speed to around 5 secs and
the aperture to the widest available on your
lens. Ideally this should be a very wide
aperture such as f/2.8 or f/4.
You should also set manual focus mode,
as it will be impossible to use autofocus to
shoot the stars. Of course, it’s so dark when
shooting starscapes that even manual
focusing can be difficult to use, so the best
solution is to pre-set focus to infinity. If
you’re using a zoom lens, you should also set
the zoom to its most suitable setting –
usually a wide-angle setting such as 18mm.
Then point your camera at a distant subject
and carefully focus. To prevent this moving
you can use a small piece of tape to keep the
NIKOPEDIA
focus set at this position.
To minimise the noise in your images you
should select the RAW file format, and also
turn on the long exposure noise reduction
mode in the camera settings menu.
APERTURE f/2.8 lens), and adjust the focus manually. detail in the foreground, but make sure that
TO GET SUCCESSFUL STARSCAPE ISO 3200
Even when using this method it can take the stars are clearly visible. If your test shot is
IMAGES YOU CAN’T USE REALLY LONG SHUTTER SPEED
5 secs time and patience to focus accurately, too bright you can use a shorter shutter
EXPOSURES, AS THIS WILL CAUSE THE FOCUS MODE Manual though, and you’ll find the whole process speed, such as 2 secs. If it’s too dark you’ll
MOTION OF THE STARS TO BE RECORDED DRIVE MODE
rather easier if you give your eyes plenty of need to adjust the ISO to a higher value rather
Single shot
AS STAR TRAILS IN YOUR FINAL IMAGE WHITE BALANCE time to become accustomed to the than using a longer shutter speed, to avoid
Tungsten darkness. To do this you’ll need at least recording the movement of the stars. Q
20
SLR ADVICE
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
The ultimate
guide to flash
NIKON SKILLS
Think flash photography is all a bit daunting?
It doesn’t have to be, says James Paterson
O
ne of the biggest steps we can take comes from right next to the lens. A separate
as photographers is to learn how to Speedlight offers so much more control.
use a flash. It can be a difficult skill to Although it fits on your camera’s hotshoe,
master, not least because the burst however, don’t make the mistake of thinking
NIKOPEDIA
of light is almost instantaneous and that that’s always the best place for it, as this
impossible to judge by eye. However, isn’t much different to using the pop-up flash.
the benefits it delivers are huge. At its most The real difference comes when you control
basic, a flash can be a provider of light when the direction and quality of the light, either by
there just isn’t enough elsewhere, but it offers turning the head to bounce it off walls, using
so much more. Consider that when we take a attachments to make it softer, or taking it off
shot in ambient light, there’s only ever one the camera and firing it remotely. This way,
‘correct’ exposure, and limited scope for the light becomes diffused and directional
changing the look of the scene. However, (the two big D’s at the forefront of any
when we start adding in our own light we experienced photographer’s mind).
can create a huge variety of looks. Over the next few pages we’ll show you how
In this feature, we’re not talking about the to get the most out of your flash. We’ll look at
pop-up flash you may have on your camera. the most important features and settings,
Chances are you’ve already discovered that cover essential skills like bouncing and
the results of using this are almost always off-camera flash, and, most importantly,
ESSENTIAL KIT
disappointing. It’s fine for snapshots, but it we’ll explain what – and what not – to do
destroys any sense of depth because the light to achieve beautiful light, every time.
Flashgun
fundamentals
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Manual mode
Manual mode is the easiest mode both to Here, our SB-910 is set to full power, indicated here
use and to understand. You simply dial in as 1/1, in manual mode
the power setting you want. Full power
(1/1) will give you the most light, and you work to correctly expose it no matter what
can then dial down from there, usually to your choice of aperture or ISO. It’s a useful
1/128 power. On a shoot this means you mode if you need to work quickly, or in
FDQHLWKHUXVHDOLJKWPHWHURUVLPSO\ÀUH situations where you can’t take a test shot.
off a test shot or two and use a little trial
DQGHUURUWRFRPHXSZLWKWKHLGHDOÁDVK Flash exposure compensation
power setting to suit your scene. :KHQLQ77/RUDXWRPRGHÁDVKH[SRVXUH
FRPSHQVDWLRQHQDEOHV\RXWRÀQHWXQHWKH
TTL metering power. First you use TTL to come up with a
Through-the-lens metering – or TTL for power that’s roughly right, then you dial in
short – is an automatic mode that works in PRUHRUOHVVOLJKWZLWK¶ÁDVKFRPS·,W·VYHU\
combination with your Nikon’s metering XVHIXOZKHQ\RXVWDUWERXQFLQJÁDVKRII
NIKOPEDIA
system to correctly expose your subject walls or diffusing the light with adapters,
VRWKHÁDVKDQGFDPHUDQHHGWREH because these both lower the strength of
compatible). As long as your subject is the light, so you can quickly dial in a little
ZLWKLQDVXLWDEOHUDQJHWKHÁDVKZLOO H[WUDSRZHUZLWKÁDVKFRPS
TOP TIP
through white umbrella is ideal for portraits as it softens the harsh flash
light. A cheap light stand will let you position your flash anywhere (or you
could just use a spare tripod, if you have one), while a sync lead or set of
wireless triggers will be needed to fire your flash off-camera. You can pick
up a basic Yongnuo set-up with flash and trigger, plus a stand and brolly,
for less than £100/$150.
SLR ADVICE
BOUNCE CARD
AND WIDE PANEL
When the flash head is tilted
away from the subject to bounce
the light off a wall or ceiling, the
white pull-out bounce card can
be used to direct a little highlight
towards the subject to produce
catchlights in the eyes. The
pull-out ‘wide panel’ diffuser,
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
meanwhile, spreads the light out
over a wider angle, so is useful
when using wide-angle lenses
with a focal length below 24mm.
POWER ZOOM
The flash tube automatically moves
AF ASSIST AND forwards or backwards inside the body of
LIGHT SENSORS the Speedlight, changing the angle of the
The red panel found at the front of beam of light to coincide with the focal
many Speedlights lights up in dim length of your lens. This ensures that the
environments to cast extra light flash focuses light on the field of view. In
onto the subject, so your Nikon has the top image below, the Speedlight is set
something to focus on. The circular to 24mm for a wide spread, while in the
sensor to the left of the red panel bottom image it’s set to 200mm for a
detects other flashes, so angle this more concentrated beam.
towards any other flash units when
using it in wireless or slave mode.
NIKON SKILLS
MOUNT AND STAND
The mount is what fixes your flash
to your Nikon’s hotshoe. This is the
flashgun’s most vulnerable point, 24mm
especially on cheaper devices.
Speedlights also come with a stand
that can be stood on a flat surface,
for off-camera shooting, or
attached to the hotshoe mount on
the camera. On the underside of
the plastic stand is a thread for
fixing the flash to a light stand or a
standard tripod mounting plate.
200mm
NIKOPEDIA
TERMINOLOGY:
Guide numbers
Guide numbers, or GN, are often noted in Speedlight
specs, but what do they mean for your flash? Well, f/8 f/4
the GN is a measure of its maximum power. Typically,
cheaper flashguns have a lower guide number.
The number is found by multiplying the distance
from flash to subject by the f-number required for
a correct exposure, with ISO set to 100 (the ISO is
usually noted in the GN specs). So, if the flash is 10
ESSENTIAL KIT
T
H[SRVXUHVLQRQHWKHÀUVWEHLQJOLWE\WKH
you need to know how it works in available light in the scene, the second by
combination with your Nikon’s OLJKWIURPWKHÁDVK6RLPDJLQHWDNLQJD
exposure settings. But before tackling QRUPDOQRQÁDVKVKRWÀUVWWRH[SRVHIRU
this, a basic understanding of how shutter DPELHQWOLJKWLQWKHVFHQH7KDW·V\RXUÀUVW
speed, aperture and ISO affect an exposure exposure. Then, for the second, imagine
is vital. So if you’re a beginner, brush up on that you’re in pitch darkness for the split
WKHVHIXQGDPHQWDOVÀUVW2QFH\RXNQRZ VHFRQG\RXUÁDVKÀUHV$VDOOOLJKWLQDQ
how these work, you’ll be well on your way. exposure is additive, your resulting image
is a combination of these two light sources.
Two in one You can clearly see these two types of
,WFDQEHXVHIXOWRWKLQNRIDÁDVKOLW exposure at work in the image of the boy
photograph as a combination of two below. During a long exposure, lightsticks
NIKON SKILLS
NIKOPEDIA
A long-exposure,
‘light-painted’ scene
ESSENTIAL KIT
demonstrates how a
flash-lit image is two
exposures rolled into
one. The settings for the
main shot were 76 secs
at f/8 and ISO100
SLR ADVICE
TERMINOLOGY:
Sync speed
Your Nikon’s max. sync speed is
the fastest shutter speed you can
use with flash (unless your flash
features high-speed sync).
Attempt to use a faster shutter
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
speed and your image may be
plagued by horizontal black bars.
This is down to the way a shutter
works. Think of it as a pair of
horizontal curtains that slide
down across the sensor, one at a
time. At slow shutter speeds, the
first curtain moves down, out of
the way of the sensor, to expose it
to light, then the second curtain
moves down to cover it up again.
At fast shutter speeds, however,
and torches were waved around in the So only your Nikon’s Here, under-exposing the second curtain begins moving
dark to create the colourful effect; this is aperture and ISO for the ambient light before the first has reached the
and adding a burst
effectively the ambient exposure. Then the ZLOODIIHFWWKHÁDVK of flash to correctly bottom of the sensor, creating
boy was lit by a Speedlight for a fraction of exposure, along with expose the rugby a slit-like opening that’s then
DVHFRQGWKLVLVWKHÁDVKH[SRVXUH the Speedlight power player has resulted captured by the flash.
NIKON SKILLS
and its distance to the in a moody and very
The need for speed subject. Shutter speed atmospheric portrait
This leads onto a second vital point. doesn’t come into it.
Because the burst of light delivered by a %XWUHPHPEHUZLWKÁDVKZH·UHDOZD\V
ÁDVKJXQLVQHDULQVWDQWDQHRXVWKHVKXWWHU making two exposures in one. So shutter
VSHHGKDVQREHDULQJRQWKHVHFRQGÁDVK speed does come into play for the ambient
exposure. Let’s go back to our image of the light exposure, which is when the light
boy. Even though the exposure time is 76 painting was done. This an important point
seconds, this has no effect on the way the that lots of photographers struggle with, so
boy is illuminated, as the only illumination it’s worth repeating: shutter speed has no
on him comes from a split-second burst of HIIHFWRQWKHÁDVKH[SRVXUHRQO\RQWKH
ÁDVKDWWKHHQG²DEXUVWWKDWLVPXFKIDVWHU ambient exposure. Aperture and ISO, on
than your Nikon’s maximum sync speed the other hand, have an effect on both the
(usually around 1/200 or 1/250 sec). ÁDVKH[SRVXUHDQGWKHDPELHQWH[SRVXUH
NIKOPEDIA
TOP TIP
Bigger is better
This hard edge is why pointing a Speedlight
directly at your subject without any kind of
diffusion is one of the worst things you can
GRZLWKLW)URQWDOÁDVKEODVWVWKHVXEMHFW
ZLWKKDUVKÁDWOLJKWUHVXOWLQJLQKRWVSRWV
(those ugly highlights on a person’s face)
and destroying any sense of depth. If the
subject is close to the background, they’ll
NIKON SKILLS
also cast an ugly, hard-edged shadow. it straight at your subject. This way the light
2QO\HYHUSRLQW\RXUÁDVKGLUHFWO\DW FDQÁRRGRYHUWKHVFHQHJHQWO\ÀOOLQJRXW
your subject if you have a diffuser attached, shadows without looking too obtrusive or
or if you don’t have any other option. Bigger fake. Direct the Speedlight at a white wall
light sources produce softer light, and and the entire surface becomes your very
softer light is generally more pleasing on own giant softbox, transforming that tiny
the eye, which is why portraits taken under light source into a bank of illumination.
DFORXG\VN\DUHPRUHÁDWWHULQJWKDQRQHV Depending on where you bounce it, you
taken under direct sunlight. The same can also make the light more directional,
DSSOLHVWRÁDVK6RWKHTXHVWLRQLVKRZ to give images greater depth. Bounce it off
do you make that small source bigger? a wall to one side, and the subject will be lit
by a bank of soft, side-on light; bounce it off
A good turn DFHLOLQJPHDQZKLOHDQGLWZLOOÁRRGWKH
All Speedlights have manoeuvrable heads room with soft, top-down illumination.
that turn and tilt, so you can bounce light Just be aware that coloured walls and
RIIDQHDUE\ZDOORUFHLOLQJLQVWHDGRIÀULQJ ceilings can result in colour casts.
NIKOPEDIA
TOP TIP
On the bounce
Bounce flash is particularly useful in situations Bounce flash doesn’t
where you need to be mobile, such as at a have to be restricted to
walls and ceilings. Here
wedding or an event. You might not have the (far right) the flash has
time or room to set up off-camera lights or been bounced off a wall
use attachments, but there’s usually a wall behind the camera, to
somewhere. Note that bouncing off a nearby eliminate the harsh
surface reduces the strength of the light, so shadows and hotspots
ESSENTIAL KIT
26
SLR ADVICE
SLR ADVICE
Frontal flash
creates hotspots
and ugly shadows,
but flash bounced
off a ceiling
produces softer,
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
more natural-
looking light
TERMINOLOGY:
Fill flash
Rather than allowing your flash to overpower
the available light, you can make the flash
NIKON SKILLS
and ambient light work together in perfect
harmony. ‘Fill flash’ means thinking of your
flash as a complementary light, rather than the
main source. It isn’t supposed to light the entire
scene – its job is to pop a little extra light onto
the subject, lifting shadows and evening out
contrast so that every element in the scene is
exposed just the way you want it to be. It’s
very useful when shooting against bright
backgrounds such as sunsets. Set up your
Nikon as if shooting with available light, then
use the Speedlight at a low power. An easy way
to do this is to set your flashgun to TTL mode,
then use flash exposure compensation to dial
down the power of the flash to about -2.0EV.
The flash should be barely perceptible, so look
NIKOPEDIA
for ways to bounce or diffuse it.
ESSENTIAL KIT
27
SLR ADVICE
WITH
WITH FLASH
FLASH
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
NIKON SKILLS
Off-camera flash
NIKOPEDIA
SLR ADVICE
TOP TIP
Trigger happy
How do you trigger a flash off-camera? If it’s
compatible with your Nikon, then you could use
your pop-up flash in Commander mode to control
and trigger it. If not, then the simple option is a
sync lead – but why restrict yourself with leads
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
when the most basic wireless triggers can be
picked up for little more than the cost of a
memory card? If you’re stuck without a trigger,
then there’s also an old-school solution. Put the
Speedlight in slave mode, so that it fires upon
detecting another burst of flash, then simply fire
your pop-up, using a very low power so as not to
overpower the main flash.
NIKON SKILLS
TERMINOLOGY:
Inverse square law
As well as the position of a light, you need
to consider its distance from the subject.
This is where the Inverse Square law proves
useful. It states that if the distance between
the light source and subject is doubled, the
subject will receive a quarter of the light.
Mood lighting
NIKOPEDIA
So, if you move the subject from five metres
2IIFDPHUDÁDVKDOVRJLYHV\RXKXJH to 10 metres away from the source, you’ll
scope for transforming the mood of either need four times the light, or you’ll
a location shot. In the woodland have to increase the exposure by two stops.
SRUWUDLWDERYHOHIWDÁDVKWRWKHULJKW
of the camera (diffused through Light source
a white umbrella) lifts the model
with side-on light, creating pools of
highlights and shadows around the
subject. Compare this to the image
taken under the same conditions but using Backlighting with flash creates a
just available light, and you can see how rimlight around the edge of your
subject, a technique that can work
WKHÁDVKQRWRQO\JLYHVWKHPRGHODFOHDQHU really well in the rain (you can always 1 metre from light
Illustration: Andrew McLaughlin
look, but also changes the entire mood of replicate this effect with a garden Flash 1/4 power
the scene by altering the ratio of light
ESSENTIAL KIT
Quality control
Get more creative by changing the colour,
temperature of around 5400 Kelvin, which
is a similar-coloured light to that of the
midday sun. Because of this, if you’re
shooting indoors, it’s worth considering
warming your Speedlight with gels to
PDWFKWKHZDUPHUDUWLÀFLDOOLJKWLQJDVD
softness and spread of your flash light mismatch in colour temperature can look
sloppy. The same applies at different times
of the day. At sunset, for example, the light
is warmer. To shoot the image of the castle
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
N
EHORZRXU6SHHGOLJKWZDVÀWWHGZLWKDQ
ZLWKH[SRVXUHÁDVK RUDQJHJHOVRWKDWWKHÁDVKPDWFKHGWKH
settings and positioning, warm sunset sky behind. The Speedlight
it’s worth exploring ways ZDVÀUHGIURPVHYHUDOORFDWLRQVRYHU
in which you can manipulate different frames, which were later
the quality of the light, either by combined in Photoshop.
controlling the colour temperature with
gels, changing the spread and softness Softness and spread
ZLWKDGDSWHUVRUOHDUQLQJKRZWKHÁDVK You can buy all kinds of adapters for your
duration changes with the power output. Speedlight that change the quality of the
light. For example, softboxes, umbrellas or
Colour control diffuser panels will produce softer light
Here, the castle and
If you’ve ever experimented with your and gentler shadows. This makes a huge
foreground have been lit
Nikon’s white balance controls, you’ll know by a Speedlight fitted difference to the quality of your light, as
that light comes in all kinds of colours. with an orange gel, to WKHWZRLPDJHVRIPHVKRRWLQJDÁRZHU
0RVWÁDVKJXQVLQFOXGLQJWKRVHPDGH match the warm colours still-life (right) demonstrate. Sometimes,
by Nikon, have a consistent colour of the sunset you actually want the light to be hard: in
NIKON SKILLS
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
HARD
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
TERMINOLOGY:
SOFT
Flash duration
Adjusting the power of a flashgun but at power settings lower than
the portraits below, the image on the left A diffuser panel from doesn’t actually affect how bright full power, instead of tailing off
a five-in-one reflector
KDVDPRRG\ÀOPQRLUDSSHDOWKDQNVWRWKH the burst of flash is, but how long slowly, it’s abruptly quenched.
held between the
hard directional lighting, while the one on it lasts, and therefore how long This allows for incredibly short
NIKON SKILLS
flash and flower has
the right has a softer, more friendly feel. a big effect on the it’s lighting the subject. At full flash durations – the lower the
Distance also plays a part, as moving a softness of the power, a typical flash duration power, the shorter the burst.
light closer effectively increases its size in shadows cast might be around 1/800 sec, but One instance where a
relation to the subject, so it becomes softer, by the flower at the lowest power setting, it super-short duration can be
which is often exactly what we want with could be as fast as 1/40,000 sec. helpful is for shooting high-speed
portraits. You’ll often see portrait Studio flash heads tend to have action such as a water splash. In
photographers bring their softboxes longer durations than standard a dark room, the flash duration
and umbrellas in very close to their subject, Speedlights because their flash effectively becomes the shutter
EHFDXVHLWÀOOVRXWWKHVKDGRZVRQWKHIDFH pattern has a longer ‘tail’ – the speed, so if you shoot at your
IRUVRIWHUPRUHÁDWWHULQJOLJKW light spikes quickly, then tails off Speedlight’s lowest power you
As an alternative to spreading the light quite gradually. The light from a can effectively shoot at a ‘shutter
out, you can also channel the beam of light Speedlight also spikes quickly, speed’ of 1/40,000 sec.
for a high-contrast spotlight effect using a Hard light can be
snoot, or even just a roll of card wrapped used to good effect in
portraits if the face is
DURXQGWKHIURQWRIWKHÁDVKJXQ<RXPLJKW turned towards the TOP TIP
also have a dome diffuser that came with light, but in general
NIKOPEDIA
your Speedlight. This can be used to spread diffused light is much
the light in all directions like a light bulb. more flattering
Stroboscopic effects
Many flashguns have a stroboscopic
setting (Repeating mode on Nikon
Speedlights) that fires a series of
rapid bursts of light, enabling you
to create stroboscopic effects. This
usually requires a longish exposure
of a second or more, so it’s best to
use a tripod. Shooting in a dark
environment will stop ambient light
polluting the effect during the long
exposure, and it’s a good idea to
ESSENTIAL KIT
37
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
THINGS
NIKON SKILLS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
DO WRONG…AND HOW
TO STOP DOING THEM
NIKOPEDIA
that Nikon photographers are likely to of useful tips for helping you get to
encounter, and suggest ways that you the bottom of your workflow woes,
can overcome them. and getting to grips with the features
Over the next ten pages, you’ll find available on your camera. And if you
advice for working out why your shots still have questions after all that, you
might be slightly blurred, why they know where we are…
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
NIKON SKILLS
NIKOPEDIA
FOCUSING EXPOSURE COMPOSITION CAMERA ERRORS LIGHTING & PROCESSING
BEAT IMAGE BLUR p34 TAKE CONTROL OF TONES p36 ADD IMPACT TO IMAGES p38 WE’VE ALL DONE IT! p40 FINISHING TOUCHES p42
ESSENTIAL KIT
WHY ARE MY
NOT KEEPING AN EYE
FOCUSING ON THE SHUTTER SPEED
The rule of thumb for handholding is
to set a shutter speed equivalent to
SHOTS BLURRED?
Here are the top reasons why your photos
(or faster than) one divided by the
focal length you’re shooting at,
so that’s 1/50 sec when shooting at
50mm, 1/400 sec at 400mm and so
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
02
speeds, but will have
no effect on any
subject movement.
If in doubt, use a
shutter speed that’s
twice as fast – you
may need to increase
the ISO, but better to
have a sharp, grainy
shot than a blurred
one. If your subject is
moving, you might
NIKON SKILLS
SLR ADVICE
04
NOT USING THE OPTIMUM APERTURE
Although there will be situations when you want
to use a large aperture to help you separate a
sharp subject from a blurred background, there
will be other times when you want more of a scene
to appear sharply focused. It might be tempting to
reach for the smallest aperture on the lens, but this actually leads to softer pictures
due to the effects of diffraction – essentially incoming light rays being bent out of shape
by the aperture blades, which is more noticeable at small apertures.
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
It’s often preferable to sacrifice some depth of field in order to deliver an image
where details are pin-sharp. This is often in the middle of a lens’s aperture range
– typically around f/8 to f/11, although this varies from lens to lens.
macro photography or landscapes, manual is the way to go. Live View
potentially makes this a piece of cake, allowing you to magnify details
to 100 per cent. However, some cameras use so-called ‘interpolation’
to create the magnified view, resulting in a Live View image that’s not
particularly sharp, and therefore harder to judge accurate focus on.
One option here is not to magnify the image too far. Alternatively,
shoot in RAW and then fine-tune the Picture Control setting to
f/22 produce a sharper, higher-contrast preview image that’s easier to
judge focus ‘snap’ on – shooting in RAW rather than JPEG means the
image will be unaffected by the effects of the Picture Control setting.
NIKON SKILLS
f/5.6
An aperture of f/22 may not give bitingly sharp results thanks to the effects of diffraction,
whereas an aperture of f/5.6 may not offer enough depth of field for a scenic shot
Live View can make focusing manually easier, although zooming too
far into the image can actually make it tricky to evaluate sharpness
ZOOMING THE LENS
AFTER YOU FOCUS
07
Most of the zoom lenses made today
aren’t in fact true zooms, or what are
known as ‘parfocal’ lenses; rather, they’re
‘varifocal’ lenses. One of the drawbacks of
this type of design is that the focus shifts
as the lens is zoomed. This means that if
you zoom in to lock the focus on
05 NIKOPEDIA
a detail within a scene and then
zoom back out to take a shot,
there’s a good chance that the
detail you want to appear sharp NOT USING THE
CORRECT AF MODE
will now be blurred.
If the zoom range isn’t too great, the
change in focus may be subtle. Using a
small aperture to give a large depth of Nikon SLRs have three autofocus modes: one for
field – the amount of front-to-back stationary subjects, one for moving subjects, and
sharpness in a picture – can also mask any an AF-A mode that automatically switches
focus shift. But the easiest way to prevent between the two, depending on whether the
this is to get into the habit of only focusing camera detects movement and decides that your
after you’ve zoomed. Once it becomes subject is mobile. However, cameras don’t always
part of your shooting regime you won’t get it right, so for absolute peace of mind, always
even have to think about it. set the correct mode manually.
ESSENTIAL KIT
8
wrong. Despite Matrix metering
essentially applying its own
exposure compensation to deliver
what it determines is an optimum
exposure, it may not be accurate.
Manually dialling in exposure
compensation at the time of
NOT USING EXPOSURE shooting is far better than trying to
the majority of day-to-day photo shadows, while trying to eke some difference. This is typically the sort of situation you’d encounter
opportunities. However, faced with detail from burned-out highlights when shooting a backlit portrait, or a landscape at dawn or dusk.
an overly bright or dark subject or can lead to ‘digital’-looking results. There are a variety of ways you can reduce the dynamic range
of the scene so that it fits within the dynamic range of the
camera’s sensor. These include using flash to brighten up a
backlit portrait, or a attaching a graduated Neutral Density filter
(ND grad) to darken a bright sky in a landscape shot, bringing its
exposure level closer to that of the land. With stationary subjects
you could also try taking two or more pictures at different
exposures and then blending the best bits of each in software.
A bright, foggy scene may appear too dark if you don’t apply positive exposure
compensation: the camera wants to make the fog grey rather than white
NIKOPEDIA
09
words, areas that are under- or over-exposed).
If you find that the preview of the image displayed
alongside the histogram is too small, then try the In this situation, you could either expose for the sky or expose for
ESSENTIAL KIT
Highlights display instead. With this enabled, areas that the buildings (top). One solution is to shoot two images and blend
are potentially over-exposed will blink on the display. the well-exposed areas of each image in Photoshop later (bottom)
SLR ADVICE
11
FORGETTING
TO SHIELD
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
THE EYEPIECE
Did you know that light can enter the
camera through the viewfinder and
affect the exposure of a picture?
Most of the time this doesn’t present
a problem, as your face is glued to the
back of the camera and shields the
eyepiece, but if you switch to Live
View, or fire the shutter using a
remote release, then there’s a chance
that light can leak through the
viewfinder. The effect is more
obvious in shots take over a long
exposure, when strange, ghostly
shapes and streaks can be burnt into
NIKON SKILLS
the image, as can be seen in our
photograph of a tree here.
Nikon recommends using an
eyepiece cap to block the viewfinder
in these circumstances, but you
might not have one of these to hand.
A strong ND filter such as the Lee
Some Nikon SLRs feature a built-in
Big Stopper enables you to use a
long exposure in bright sunlight, eyepiece blind, but if yours doesn’t
but this is what can happen if you simply drape a black lens cloth over
don’t keep the eyepiece covered… the top of the camera instead.
NIKOPEDIA
or dark a picture is. If an
– typically 1/200 sec). Switching to a image looks way too
smaller aperture is often the easiest way bright or dark, check that
to fix this problem. The aperture controls you haven’t accidentally
the flash exposure, with smaller set the wrong mode. Spot
apertures reducing the flash exposure. metering, for example,
On very bright days, this may mean only meters a small part
that you end up using a smaller aperture of the scene, and if you’ve
than you’d like, bringing more of a scene manually selected an
into focus. In this situation, fit a standard autofocus point then the
spot meter will be linked
ESSENTIAL KIT
COMPOSITION
WHY DO MY PICS
LOOK LIKE SNAPS?
Here’s why your framing may be letting you
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
15
When you’re focused on getting a shot and making sure the subject
looks its best, it’s easy to miss distracting elements at the edges of your
frame. You can, of course, spend time in post-production cropping a
shot or cloning out unwanted features that were missed when you
framed the shot in the viewfinder, but to make the best use of your time
and the full potential of the camera’s sensor (and get into the habit of
taking the photograph you want and not relying on editing), it pays to
get it right when you take the picture.
That’s easier said than done, especially when you factor in the fact
that not all Nikon’s viewfinders provide 100% coverage. This explains
why you may be surprised to see branches, leaves or street lamps creeping into your carefully
composed shots when you play them back on the rear screen (above). So, before you press the
shutter release button, run your eye quickly around the edge of the screen to check for possible
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
NOT FINDING
A POINT OF
INTEREST 16
Photos can end up looking like
snapshots if you don’t give
them a focal point. If there are
too many elements in a picture
that aren’t working in harmony,
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
the viewer’s eyes will wander
around the shot looking for
something to latch onto. One
technique is to use the ‘rule of
position of clouds in a landscape shot.
thirds’ to position the subject
Naturally, the more frames you fire
– this is particularly effective
off in succession, the greater your
when the focal point is small in
chances of capturing the peak of the
the frame. Another trick is to
The original shot may tick some of the boxes, with action or the defining moment. That
frame a shot so that there’s an
its rule of thirds and leading lines, but there’s no being said, timing is everything; if you
odd number of elements, as
focal point, and the patch of grass on the right is see the moment through the viewfinder,
this tends to result in a more distracting. The real interest is in the sky, so the then the chances are that you’ve missed
balanced composition. shot was reframed to make the most of this the opportunity to record it! Trying to
anticipate this moment is key, and
starting to shoot before it happens will
increase your chances of capturing it.
NIKON SKILLS
WRONG
the time and space on a memory card, it’s worth ‘bracketing’ your
composition, in the same way that you would bracket the exposure.
RIGHT
Even ‘stationary’ shots can show a peak
moment. The second shot stands out
because of the position of the clouds –
the larger one appears to be streaming
from the cathedral’s central pinnacle
18
While it’s true that frame-filling shots have impact, they’re not exploring all the angles. By
not always an option. Cropping an image can get you that making the effort to find a shooting
ESSENTIAL KIT
full-frame impact – albeit at the expense of image size – but angle that’s lower or higher than
why not try composing shots so that your subject is positioned head height, you can create a more
within the environment, rather than isolated from it? interesting and unusual picture.
COMMON
SETTINGS & KIT
NOT CHECKING CARDS
AND BATTERIES 23
CAMERA ERRORS
Here are eight familiar camera and camera
How often have you found yourself out
shooting only to discover that you only have
room for a couple of pictures on the card in
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
WRONG COLOURS?
22
WRONG WHITE
BALANCE…
If you notice a colour cast
on your images when you
preview them, the chances
are that the wrong white
balance has been set. Most
photographers leave the
white balance in its Auto
setting, and with good
reason: it generally does
a decent job of removing
NIKOPEDIA
SLR ADVICE
NOT MAKING THE MOST OF U1 AND U2
Some Nikon SLRs enable you to create your own
user-settings modes, which allow you to bring up
a specific camera configuration at the touch of a
button (or turn of a dial). If you’re the kind of
photographer who sticks to
27
aperture-priority mode for 99 per cent
of their photography, then you may not
unnecessarily high for the conditions, it’s
have explored this option, but you’re missing
actually very useful. The Auto ISO function can
out on one of the camera’s more convenient aspects. One
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
be tailored so that the camera is unable to push
Use the Auto particularly handy way it can make a difference is in enabling
the ISO higher than a sensitivity you’ve dialled
ISO menu to fix you to set up a dedicated ‘movie’ mode, which allows you to optimise the
the highest ISO in, and you can also set the minimum shutter
autofocus and other key settings without having to delve into the menu
that the camera speed you need, improving your chances of
and make adjustments each time you want to shoot a video clip.
can choose taking sharp handheld photos.
It also adds flexibility in
manual mode, enabling you to
set a combination of aperture
and shutter speed to give you
the look you want, with the
camera then adjusting the ISO
to keep the exposure consistent
as the light changes.
NIKON SKILLS
Don’t leave the Picture Control setting in its Standard position for every shot.
By shooting in RAW, you can preview the effect that a Picture Control has on
an image during Live View or playback, but the original image will remain
unaffected. This is particularly useful when shooting for black and white: compensation. As a result, it may be worth de-activating
using the Monochrome Picture Control enables you to judge how a picture Active D-Lighting in these situations.
will work in greyscale, while the RAW file will be saved with all the colour
information intact. This allows you to carry out the conversion later.
It’s a different matter when you shoot JPEGs, as the Picture Control is
‘baked’ into the file. If you don’t like the look delivered by the
26
Picture Control you’ve set, you can try to fix things in
Photoshop, but image quality will suffer. It’s important to get a
handle on Picture Control when shooting HD video too, because
every frame of a movie is basically a JPEG image, so colour, Active D-Lighting is useful, but reserve the highest setting
contrast and sharpness are fixed at the time you record the for high-contrast lighting, and de-activate it for low-contrast
footage. Filmmakers tend to use the Neutral or Flat Picture subjects. You can always apply it later when you process shots
Controls, as these give low-contrast results that hold up better
NIKOPEDIA
to enhancements in video-editing software.
NOT USING
THE ‘CORRECT’
FOCAL LENGTH 29
While they’re capable of delivering dramatic results,
wide-angle lenses need to be used with care as they can
also deliver peculiar results – when used close up to shoot
a portrait, for example, they can end up distorting a person’s
features. They can also make backgrounds seem small and
insignificant in landscapes. While sometimes you might
want to play with a portrait and have fun with the effect, as
ESSENTIAL KIT
a rule it’s not what most people having their photos taken
NEUTRAL MONO VIVID appreciate. For both portraits and landscapes, switching to
If you shoot in RAW image quality, the image will retain all its colour information, enabling you a lens with a slightly longer focal length and shooting from
to visualise how an effect will work – but if you want to change it later, you can still do so farther away may be more desirable.
OTHER ISSUES
LIGHTING,
PROCESSING screw-on filter, then it’s important to fit a lens
hood when you’re shooting in bright conditions,
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
AND MORE…
otherwise there’s a risk of internal reflections
degrading the image.
It’s tougher to do this with a square filter
system such as those from Lee and Cokin, as
you’ll need a specialist lens hood. Using your
How you light your images, and hand or your body to cast a shadow over the front
how you edit them, are also key of the lens is a good idea, but even then you can
end up with ghosting – light reflecting from the
to professional-looking shots surfaces of the filters and lenses – if the filter
isn’t properly installed. Always start with the slot
nearest the lens; it’s easy to miss this if you’re
shooting in low light or inclement weather.
30
31
NOT WAITING FOR THE RIGHT LIGHT
Waiting for the best light – in terms of its
quality, quantity and direction – is one thing we
all know we should be doing, but when we have to squeeze in
NIKON SKILLS
SLR ADVICE
34
NOT PROCESSING AN IMAGE
It’s rare that a JPEG image straight out
of the camera requires no subsequent
work. To get an image looking its best,
you may need to tweak the levels, fix
a colour cast, add some additional
sharpening or crop it for a better
composition. If you shoot RAW files
then you have to process the images
yourself, which adds time to your
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
workflow, but at least you’ll be starting
with the highest-quality file that your
camera can produce, and any changes
that you make are never permanently
applied to the original image.
when you’re
viewing the
image at this
level of
magnification. It’s
also worth doing
this after you’ve
carried out
changes to colour
NIKON SKILLS
saturation or
Images can appear flat straight out of the contrast, in order
camera, even when you’re shooting in JPEG ORIGINAL
format. Most images require some processing, to check that
even if it’s just to sharpen them and add contrast details are still
visible and colour
gradation is still
smooth.
35
Lens distortion can create a myriad of problems, so make this the first adjustment
you apply when you process an image. If you don’t fix distortion, then images may
Always view an
not appear as sharp; lines that should appear straight, such as the horizon, will
image at full size
appear to bow; and the corners of an image may be darker than its centre. when applying
You can apply some lens corrections in-camera, such as using Vignette Control noise reduction,
to reduce the amount of corner-shading a lens exhibits (typically a problem with otherwise you
won’t be able
NIKOPEDIA
fast lenses), but carrying out the adjustments post-shoot gives you more control.
If you do plan to apply lens corrections, then compose wider than normal, particularly with a wide-angle to judge its
RIGHT effectiveness
lens, as the stretching and cropping that occurs can slice a surprising amount from the edge of the picture.
Chromatic aberration (colour fringing) can be obvious along edges in high-contrast shots, but it’s easy to
remove automatically in Lightroom and Photoshop, which have lens profiles already built in
Photo
Techniques
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
90
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT
46 82
45
58
70
46
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
SLR ADVICE
15 FRESH IDEAS
FOR BRILLIANT
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
LANDSCAPES
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NIKON SKILLS
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT
01
PRO TIP
If you’re including people
in your image and they’re
a long way off, you can use
walkie-talkies to position
them precisely where
you want them
GET CREATIVE
to be
WITH SCALE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
SLR ADVICE
LOOK OUT FOR
COMPLEMENTARY
COLOURS
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
Summertime is bursting with complementary
colours such as red poppies with green grass,
a yellow sunflower against purple irises and spices, colourful hats, handmade blankets,
a deep orange sand dune leading to a blue
sky, as shown below. Putting these colours
together will create striking images, but first
let’s understand the basic principle behind
complementary colours so it will help you
identify subjects when you are out shooting.
If you take any of the three primary colours
(red, blue and yellow) and mix the other two
03
CROP IN TIGHT
shells or other natural elements can make
striking images. I think of making photographs
in terms of telling a story about a place. What
is it that the location is particularly known for?
ON DETAILS
colours together, the resulting colour is the
production. This way you are capturing the
complementary colour of the primary colour.
most information possible, instead of throwing
So, to get the complement of red, mix yellow
some of it away afterwards. The beauty of
and blue together to make green. To get the
NIKON SKILLS
taking close-ups of details is that you can use
complement of blue, mix red and yellow
together to get orange. To get the complement
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? just about any lens. Many telephotos will focus
You don’t have to travel far to capture great fairly close to eliminate distracting elements
of yellow, mix red and blue together to produce
landscape images – sometimes, your own back and concentrate solely on the details. Normal
purple. Look at a colour wheel: any colours that
garden may be far enough. There might not be lenses will easily focus close-in, and even wide-
are opposite each other are complementary
scope for a traditional wide-angle landscape, angle lenses can get really close to the subject
colours. When you use them together in an
but if you take the time to look closer at to create an unusual perspective.
image, it creates a striking colour contrast that
details, you can create interesting images. In this image of a white picket fence and
will make your image pop. Complementary
Details of plants and flowers in your garden traveller’s palm I wanted to show the contrast
colours are used all the time in advertising
can take on a very different look when you crop between man-made and natural patterns.
to make the ads stand out.
in tight. When composing your image, look for The image on the left was shot with a normal
patterns and design in nature. lens and doesn’t work photographically. Not
WHAT’S THE KEY? When you’re travelling further afield, don’t satisfied with this attempt, I changed lenses
The key to this technique is recognising which forget to look closely for details that will sum to a short telephoto to crop in tighter on just
colours will work together, and executing the up the place in one photo. Elements that are the details I wanted to show, eliminating the
shot in a way that makes these colours as bold evocative of a location, such as local fruit or distracting elements behind the palm.
NIKOPEDIA
as possible. In this image of a sand dune in
Monument Valley, I used a polarising filter to
saturate the colours more. The side lighting
not only enabled maximum polarisation, it also
brought out the patterns in the sand. This has GEAR UP ROCK STEADY
helped to create an image that leaps off the
page and demands the viewer’s attention. Q$OORIWKHLPDJHVRQWKLVVSUHDGUHTXLUHGDVWXUG\
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ESSENTIAL KIT
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04
Sunbursts can be PRO TIP
captured by setting A sunburst effect can be
a small aperture achieved by pointing your
camera directly at a point
source of light. The smaller
the aperture, the more
obvious the effect
SHOOT RIGHT
INTO THE SUN
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
you’re shooting an uneven horizon like this; if you through the image. At other times, though, it can
The main problem is the increased contrast. Then
use a hard grad the filter will darken any object distract from the main subject. To help combat
there’s knowing how to meter this tricky lighting
above the horizon line, making it more obvious. flare, keep your lenses clean and use a prime lens.
situation, as well as potential problems with flare,
When metering a scene like this, I also apply Even though today’s zoom lens technology and
but there are ways to overcome all this.
some exposure compensation. This is because an special coatings help reduce lens flare, a prime
SLR’s metering system will always try to render lens has fewer elements for light to go through,
WHAT’S THE KEY? a scene as an average mid-tone by default, which so there is less chance of it producing flare. If
Let’s talk about controlling contrast first. When in a shot like this will result in bright skies turning needed, shield the lens with your hand or use a
you point your Nikon at a sunrise or sunset, the a murky mid-grey. The solution is to over-expose lens hood. Sometimes, however, there isn’t any
sky will be very bright and the landscape very (ie let in more light) to compensate. One stop of way to avoid the sun shining into your lens, so
dark. The easiest way to resolve this is to use over-exposure (+1EV) is a good starting point. In you will have to remove any flare in Photoshop.
05
spy planes. Johnson wanted his engineers to When you’re keeping
“keep a design simple and stupid”. If you look at things simple, make
NIKOPEDIA
all of the images in this feature, they all have one sure your horizons
are straight!
thing in common: uncluttered composition.
that lacks overall impact. I like simple, graphic create several images by varying the composition.
compositions, and am a firm believer that less I can place the horizon low or high, make the
is more. Have you heard of the KISS method? It’s image horizontal or vertical or place the subject
an acronym for ‘Keep It Simple Stupid’, coined by on different intersecting points using the Rule of
head engineer Kelly Johnson at Lockheed Martin’s Thirds. This is a good exercise in composition.
SLR ADVICE
06
GET CREATIVE
WITH CLOUDS
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
Clouds are an important part of landscape
photography, yet are often overlooked when it
comes to creating an image. Like supporting
actors in a film, they can add drama and
emotion, they can direct the viewer to the
main point of interest, and they can support
or balance the main subject. To extend the
film anology further, without them the entire
production can be at risk of deletion from our
memory cards.
The type of cloud can also play an important
part in creating a successful landscape image.
On countless occasions I have gone out to
NIKON SKILLS
shoot a sunset, only to conclude the clouds
are the wrong type to produce a spectacular
image. It’s important to have the right type
of cloud; whether it’s cirrus, cumulus or
lenticular, the right type of cloud can
make or break a landscape image.
IT’S IN THE POST DETAILS position within the frame. In fact, I waited four
years to get the right cloud over this lone olive
tree in Tuscany! I do a workshop there every
NIKOPEDIA
Q:LWKGLJLWDOWHFKQRORJ\LW·VDVLPSRUWDQWWREHDGHSWEHKLQG year and have always wanted to photograph
WKHFRPSXWHUDVLWLVEHKLQGWKHFDPHUD$VORQJ\RXFDQFDSWXUH this single tree, but never had the right clouds
DVPXFKLQIRUPDWLRQDVSRVVLEOHLQWKHILHOGWKHQ\RXVKRXOGEH present – that is, until last year. But I still had
DEOHWREULQJLWRXWLQSRVWSURFHVVLQJ&RQWUROOLQJKLJKOLJKWVLV to wait a while in this field until a single cloud
DQDUHDWKDWHYHU\SKRWRJUDSKHUQHHGVWREHSURILFLHQWZLWKDQG drifted directly over the tree. I could have put
WKHUHDUHPDQ\ZD\VWRDFKLHYHWKLV,ILQGWKHHDVLHVWZD\LVWR one in using Photoshop, but I prefer the get it
PRYHWKH+LJKOLJKWVVOLGHULQ/LJKWURRPWRWKHOHIWWRUHFRYHU right in camera whenever possible.
DQ\EORZQKLJKOLJKWV The angle at which clouds are moving also
,RIWHQXVHWKH¶GHWDLO impacts on your images. Look for ones moving
H[WUDFWRU·DYDLODEOH in the right direction to complement the angle
LQ1LN&RORU(IH[3UR of any buildings, or at an angle that helps to
ZZZJRRJOHFRP pull the viewer’s eye down to the ground.
QLNFROOHFWLRQWREULQJ Finally, there is an unwritten rule about
RXWGHWDLOLQFORXGV<RX using clouds: small fluffy cumulus clouds like
ESSENTIAL KIT
07
ISOLATE YOUR
attention to it. Make sure there are no competing
elements around it so the viewer’s eye isn’t pulled
in different directions. This is what I did with
lavender field and lone tree in the picture above.
I purposely put the tree right in the centre of the
frame, carefully placing the lines of lavender
so they enter from the corners. This draws the
viewer’s eye straight to the tree.
IT’S IN THE POST
SPOT COLOUR
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NIKOPEDIA
SLR ADVICE
MAKE THE MOST
OF SYMMETRY
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
Symmetry is when you can divide an image in
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
two and get a mirror image on either side of
the line. Nature is good at creating symmetry
– one obvious example is a reflection in a lake.
The dividing line between the two halves is
called the ‘line of symmetry’. We are naturally
fascinated with symmetrical patterns, and a Carefully cropping out
photograph of a symmetrical location, with other open sunflowers
in this field prevented
equal elements on either side, draws the them being distracting
viewer in to explore the scene in more depth.
You can have vertical and horizontal
symmetry within a frame, and sometimes
both in one image.
NIKON SKILLS
Reflections are the obvious example, but
there are many other natural examples,
such as this image of a starfish in the surf. I
positioned the starfish in the centre of the
frame and watched as the wave hit it. I didn’t
imagine the image that I ended up with when I
slowed the shutter speed down from 1/200 sec
to 1/80 sec in order to get a little movement in
the wave. It created a perfect foamy envelope,
but you can still see the starfish underneath. The colour of this lone
The photograph is vertically symmetrical if tulip makes it ‘pop’
you draw a line from the top to the bottom
through middle of the starfish.
The key to creating symmetry is to make
sure you position the subject in the centre of
09
NIKOPEDIA
the frame, with any elements placed exactly
the same distance apart from each other.
A panorama is a
great option for a
very horizontal
subject like this
are consistent. Set the white balance to daylight, stitched the images together later in Photoshop’s
CAPTURE A and you can bring the details of the scene closer
to you. If the light isn’t changing quickly and you
up with something like the same person walking
through the scene. The software sometimes
PANORAMA
have time, shoot in vertical orientation to make removes all but one, though you still may have to
more use of the sweet spot of the lens. It will also retouch others out. Coastlines present a different
result in larger files, giving you no problems if you problem: moving waves. If you are quick enough
want to make large prints. shooting your series you might be lucky and have
For this shot I was quite a long way from Iguazu your waves stitch together. If you are including
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? Falls, so I used a focal length of 145mm to zoom in crashing waves it does get trickier. In that case,
When you are on your travels this summer, don’t
on just the falls. I made eight vertical exposures at I allow space in a single frame so I can crop it
ignore official scenic viewpoints just because
0.5 sec each to obtain the silky water effect. I also to a panoramic format. As my Nikon produces
they’re obvious. But instead of putting a wide-
used a polarising filter to saturate the greens by 36-megapixel RAW files, that isn’t a problem
NIKOPEDIA
First level the tripod, then level the camera. It
7KLVZLOORQO\ILW6HULHV*LW]RWULSRGVEXWLI
helps if your tripod has a bubble level on the \RXVKRRWDORWRISDQRUDPDVLW·VZRUWKWKHLQYHVWPHQW7KH
neck; disregard the ones on the head. I use an PDLQEHQHILWZLWKWKHOHYHOOLQJEDVHLV\RXZLOOQRWKDYHWR
inexpensive hotshoe spirit level to align my DGMXVW\RXUWULSRGOHJVLI\RXDUHRQXQHYHQJURXQG<RXRQO\
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mode so that all the exposures in your sequence
SLR ADVICE
12
SHOOT A
SILHOUETTE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
Silhouettes can be very evocative. Sunset is the
best time to create them, especially if you place
your subject against a stunning sky. Our eyes can
PRO TIP still see lots of detail in these lighting situations,
Before shooting your
but a camera sensor can capture a much smaller
panorama, photograph your
finger pointing right; at the range of tones – where we might see some detail
end, photograph it pointing in a silhouetted subject, the camera will often just
left. This will help you see deep, black shadow. Any subject can be used,
identify the shots to
as long as the shape of the subject is identifiable,
edit later
and preferably very graphic.
Asymmetry creates a
WHAT’S THE KEY?
NIKON SKILLS
The key to successful silhouettes is backlighting.
sort of visual tension,
adding interest Place the sun behind the subject or even shoot
after the sun has set in order to achieve brilliant
colour that will provide an interesting backdrop.
Exposure can be a challenge because the
camera’s meter may want to underexpose the
scene, depending on the ratio of dark to light
areas. Generally, you will want to expose for the
background. When I shot the fishing boat below, I
overexposed by one stop so the sky and reflection
wouldn’t look too dark.
If most of your subject lies below the horizon,
you run the risk of it merging into the dark tones.
An example would be a tree in a field at sunset.
If half of the trunk is below the horizon, you will
only be able to see the top of the tree, which will
NIKOPEDIA
look odd. The best way to solve this problem is to
Informal balance or asymmetrical balance
11
get as low as possible and move closer to the tree
is when one or more dissimilar elements are
(using a wide-angle lens if necessary).
on each side of a given point in the frame. You
You should be able to use a low ISO, such as
can have one element close to the front of
100, as the background should be bright enough,
the camera and one in the distance. This size
and, of course, you should be using a tripod. In
differential creates an informal balance.
most cases, try to use the optimal aperture of f/8
INCLUDE SOME
unless you want to include a sunburst, when you
WHAT’S THE KEY? need to use an aperture of f/16-f/22.
In this image above, there are two obvious
13
WHAT’S THE KEY? mode. An exposure of 30 seconds is normally the
There are numerous night photography longest exposure available in ‘auto’ modes; if you
NIKOPEDIA
techniques to try, but here are the key ones. require longer exposures, shoot in manual mode.
First, and most obvious: use a tripod plus a If you are in a landscape away from the city
remote release to avoid camera shake. I prefer lights, try photographing a sky full of stars
a simple cable release that doesn’t require over your scene. This requires you to use a
PHOTOGRAPH
batteries, as batteries tend to go flat just when high ISO such as 1200-3200 – the exact setting
you need them, and that’s a nuisance when will depend on the phase of the moon. If the
you’re out photographing landscapes. landscape is lit by a full moon, I have used an ISO
cranes, wires and unsightly buildings seem to the highlights in the lights start to burn out.
melt away in the background. Every holiday It is advisable to lock your mirror up and wait
destination has something that will look great a few seconds before tripping the shutter to
THIS OPPORTUNE TIME IS ABOUT 20-
at night, no matter where you are in the world. avoid possible vibrations from the mirror. In this 30 MINUTES AFTER THE SUN HAS GONE
A few classic subjects for night shoots are image of Manarola in Cinque Terre, Italy, I used
illuminated fountains, sculptures, castles, the optimal aperture of f/8 which resulted in
BELOW THE HORIZON, WHEN THE LIGHTS
churches or cathedrals and market places. an exposure of 30 secs using aperture-priority COME ON AND THE SKY IS A DEEP BLUE
56 Nikon Photographer’s Handbook
14
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
SLR ADVICE
LOOK FOR SHAPE
AND PATTERN
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
Shapes and patterns are important elements
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
in landscape photography. They create visual
rhythm and harmony that brings impact to an
image. If you think of any shape or pattern, the
basis of these elements are lines. Line is the
structure of all photographs, either in a subtle
or obvious way. When you use lines creatively
in a composition they can evoke different
emotions: diagonal lines suggest action and PRO TIP
movement, horizontal ones create a sense You can add a twist to
of tranquility and peace, and vertical lines a classic canopy shot like
15
this by setting a slow shutter
suggest a feeling of power and strength. speed and spinning your
camera round or zooming
in as you press the
DIAGONAL LINES SUGGEST ACTION shutter release
AND MOVEMENT, HORIZONTAL ONES
CREATE A SENSE OF TRANQUILITY, AND
DON’T FORGET TO LOOK UP!
NIKON SKILLS
VERTICAL LINES SUGGEST POWER
When lines form a clear pattern, they can
create a more successful image. Patterns are
everywhere in nature and man-made objects.
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
It’s very easy to photograph what’s in front of us, as our eyes scan from left to right searching
for compositions. However, often looking up can be all it takes to shoot more dynamic images.
WHAT’S THE KEY? Whether you are walking through forests of towering trees or large, skyscraper-packed cities,
The key to finding patterns is to explore a you can create unusual images by pointing the camera to the heavens.
variety of different angles in order to seek
out any repetition. Lens choice will make
a huge difference in how well the patterns
WHAT’S THE KEY?
The key to this technique is utilising dynamic lines as much as possible. With this image of the
are captured. Depending on the scene, I find
giant redwoods in California, I wanted to show the pattern of lines that these trees create, as they
a medium-to-long telephoto works well to
are the tallest trees in the world. I mounted my Nikon D800 with a 14-24mm lens set at 14mm to
compress the patterns, as was the case with
accentuate the lines. The hardest part was cranking my neck to see the display using Live View! It
NIKOPEDIA
the wind turbines here. When you combine
took some minor adjustments in the framing to ensure that there were even patterns coming in
patterns with great light, it only reinforces the
from all the edges of the frame. Because the forest was so dark, I needed to use positive exposure
composition. I chose early morning light on the
compensation, and overexpose the scene by one stop, otherwise the dark trunks would have come
white turbines so they would transform into
out too dark. I’ve tried this same technique in cities. Q
gold against the polarised blue sky. I chose a
short enough shutter speed (1/4 sec) to blur the
rotation of the turbines and add an element of
motion. This created an interesting shape that
made them look like pinwheels.
IT’S IN THE POST NOISE REMOVAL
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58
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
SLR ADVICE
37 top tips
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
for portraits
NIKON SKILLS
James Paterson presents 37 ways to hone your skills,
learn new editing tricks and master techniques
guaranteed to improve your people photos
P
ortraiture offers a real test of a Over the next few pages you’ll find a whole
photographer’s technical skill, heap of ideas, tips, lighting advice and even
creativity and charisma that editing suggestions that are guaranteed to
sets it apart from other genres of produce great portraits. How do we know?
photography. There’s nothing quite Because we’ve been honing these ideas
like coming away from a portrait through hundreds of shoots of our own.
shoot knowing you’ve nailed every aspect Now you can take brilliant portraits too…
NIKOPEDIA
of the challenge – the camera settings, the
lighting, the composition, and the subject’s
character. When everything comes together
in one harmonious frame, the results can be
spectacular. However, anyone who’s tried
their hand at portraiture has also probably
experienced the crushing disappointment
that comes when grumpy subjects, technical
1 Get the low-down
COMPOSITION TIP
settings, and maybe a go-to lighting set-up, and the foreground. Using a long focal
then the multitasking nature of portraiture length in combination with a wide
suddenly gets a lot easier. aperture will emphasise the blur.
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Background blur
QHFNKLSVVKRXOGHUV«DVOLJKWEHQGZLOO Motion can
NIKON SKILLS
LQYDULDEO\OHDGWRDPRUHLQWHUHVWLQJSRVH introduce
background blur
while still enabling
4 Window of opportunity
LIGHTING TIP you to use a narrow
aperture for greater
depth of field
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NIKOPEDIA
sources, and a
5 Shoot it shallow
CAMERA TIP
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SLR ADVICE
8 Editing tip
Create clones
Multiplicity portraits are easy to create, even if you’re a Photoshop
novice, as long as you shoot all the images you need on a tripod. Set
your camera up on a tripod and capture your subject in various poses
spread around the frame. Then, in Photoshop, copy and paste the
images on top of one another (CC users can go to File>Scripts>Load
6 Interaction
POSING TIP Interaction Files into Stack).
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Getting couples or
Next go to
groups to interact
often leads to more Layer>Layer
natural poses Mask>Hide All, then
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paint with white to
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reveal the hidden
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pose. Select the next
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layer and repeat until
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the images are all
RQHRIWKHPWRZKLVSHUVRPHWKLQJLQWKH
combined.
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UHOD[HGQDWXUDOORRNLQJSRVHV
7 Sense of scale
COMPOSITION TIP
NIKON SKILLS
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\RXUODQGVFDSHSKRWRJUDSK\HVSHFLDOO\LQ
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WRJLYH\RXULPDJHVDVHQVHRIVFDOH
9a portrait
CAMERA TIP
Zoom-blur
NIKOPEDIA
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11 Plan group shots
POSING TIP
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VLWWLQJSHRSOHRQDÁLJKWRIVWDLUVRUE\ group out has created the effect of a
collection of individual portraits,
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NIKOPEDIA
6RPHIDFHVORRNIDQWDVWLFZKHQOLWIURP
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SLR ADVICE
13 Editing tip
Retouch the face
Most faces will benefit from subtle
retouching. The trick is to keep things
natural, so don’t go overboard and remove
absolutely everything. A good rule of thumb
is to make the subject look their best, as if
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
they’ve just had a great night’s sleep after a
weekend spa break. So spots, blemishes and
eye bags can all be softened.
Camera Raw (or the near-identical tools in
Lightroom’s Develop Module) offers some
useful tools for this. Load the Adjustment
Brush with -50 Clarity and paint over the
skin to soften it slightly, without making it
16 CAMERA TIP
Double
exposures
over-smooth and plasticky, then use the Spot 7KHROGDQDORJXHWHFKQLTXHRI
Removal tool to paint over spots and marks. ZLQGLQJEDFNWKHÀOPWRH[SRVH
For eye bags, open in Photoshop, grab the WKHVDPHIUDPHWZLFHKDVORQJ
Clone tool, set opacity to about 20% then EHHQXVHGWRFUHDWHEHDXWLIXO
sample a clean bit of cheek underneath LPDJHV<RXU1LNRQFDQFUHDWH
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NIKON SKILLS
14 Focus on the hands 15 Keep it simple
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17 Accessorise
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20 Background info
COMPOSITION TIP
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18 Go to the wall
POSING TIP
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21 Think about gaze
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Crop with 23 It’s all in the eyes
EDITING TIP
It’s often said that the eyes are the gateway to the
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26 Paint a portrait
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Why not turn your portrait into a digital painting in Photoshop? First create a duplicate
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desaturate with Cmd/Ctrl+U and change the Blend Mode to Multiply. This should give
you a sketch effect over the image; lower the layer opacity to tone it down.
Subject
Next you can give your image a brushed border effect. First make a new layer and
fill with an off-white colour (Edit>Fill). Hide it, then, with the layer below selected, hit
PL- L
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ESSENTIAL KIT
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PHOTO TECHNIQUES
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
NIKON SKILLS
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SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
PRO TIP
Shooting in, or
converting to, black
and white is perfect for
giving your informal,
candid shots a classy,
timeless look
NIKON SKILLS
SHOT 1
usually be shot in a house or hotel room, so the shots you need, the bride will also need Exposure mode Aperture-priority
the lighting will be the main challenge to time and space to get ready, so make sure Aperture f/4
capturing these special moments. that you don’t take up too much time ISO 800
On an overcast day, or in a room with getting your shots, and try to stay out of
Focus mode Single-servo
windows facing away from the sun, you the way for many of your photographs,
will be able to use soft window-light to help shooting her from a distance without Drive mode Continuous
you capture your images. You may need to giving her any additional direction. This
ask the bride or maid of honour to move approach will also help you get more Shot ideas
© iStock
into the light, but you shouldn’t spend ages natural-looking results, rather than
setting up these shots. If there is direct stiff, posed images. Q WINDOW-LIT OR BACKLIT
PORTRAIT of the bride
Q REFLECTION of the bride in a
Give them space mirror while she is getting her hair
and make-up done
Although there are times during the day when you’ll
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
SHOT 2
Close-ups of the rings,
decorations and cake
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
hile most of your day will be spent three smaller shoots. For example, you can
NIKON SKILLS
to shoot the wedding itself, which means shadow of the ring shaped like a heart in
you may need to split this shoot into two or WKHIROGVRIDERRN
NIKOPEDIA
Lens Macro
Exposure mode Aperture-priority
Aperture f/4
ISO 200
Focus mode Manual focus
Drive mode Single shot
Shot ideas
Q Close-ups of the DECORATIONS
using shallow depth of field
Q Still-life shot of the RINGS
ESSENTIAL KIT
PRO TIP
Always shoot in RAW (or
RAW + JPEG) to ensure that
NIKON SKILLS
Lens Standard zoom you to capture some of the anticipation of venue together. You could also go for a
the big day. Bear in mind that this can be static posed group shot, inside or outside
Exposure mode Aperture-priority
a nervous time for the groom, so try to the venue depending on the weather.
Aperture f/5.6
get your shots quickly, and keep it fun. If the best man and groom have arrived
ISO 200 For a more informal, candid approach in a special car, get a shot of them with this,
Focus mode Continuous you can capture shots of the best man as it may be the only time that they will be
Drive mode Continuous reassuring the groom, or of them simply together in the same place. But the most
laughing together before the crucial important thing is to capture at least one
Shot ideas moment. Get the groom, best man and
ushers to chat and have fun while you
‘hero’ shot of all the boys together looking
great for the big day.
Q THE BEST MAN reassuring, or
sharing a joke with, the groom
Q A shot including the groom’s
Be friendly!
While it’s important to know your settings and shot
ESSENTIAL KIT
WEDDING CAR
Q CANDID SHOTS of the best man lists, wedding photography is equally about dealing with
people, so the less you have to think about your
© iStock
SLR ADVICE
SHOT 4 ESSENTIAL SETTINGS:
Bride arriving
Bride arriving at the Use these settings to
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Exposure mode Aperture-priority
he bride arriving at the venue and the The main challenge once the wedding
T
Aperture f/5.6
moments just before the ceremony are party are out of the car is getting your shots
ISO 200
perfect for capturing some informal without delaying the wedding too much,
images of her and her father, along and then making sure that you are able to Focus mode Continuous
with the maid of honour and bridesmaids. get into position for the main ceremony. Drive mode Continuous
,W·VRIWHQGLIÀFXOWWRSUHGLFWH[DFWO\ZKHQ Because of this, try to get your images of the
the bride will arrive, but you need to make
sure that you are ready and in position to
bride and her father, along with the maid of
honour and bridesmaids, as they’re walking
Shot ideas
capture the moment when the wedding car XSWRWKHFKXUFKRUUHJLVWU\RIÀFH,I\RX Q THE BRIDE GETTING OUT OF THE
approaches. Once the car has stopped you have time you can get some candid shots of WEDDING CAR, possibly with her
can get shots of the bride getting out of the the wedding party as they wait to enter the dress being rearranged
car. If the bride is in shadow you can use church. Don’t leave it too late to go inside, Q THE BRIDE AND HER FATHER
DÁDVKJXQWRKHOSÀOOLQWKHVKDGRZV WKRXJK²DSSHDULQJVHFRQGVEHIRUHWKH with the wedding car
particularly on a bright, sunny day. bride would be bad form!
Q THE BRIDE AND BRIDESMAIDS
Discuss a shot list walking towards the church
NIKON SKILLS
Even for an informal wedding you need to know what Q CANDIDS OF THE WEDDING PARTY
you need to shoot and when, so chat with the couple before waiting to enter the venue
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT
PERFECT WEDDING PHOTOS
SLR ADVICE
SHOT 5
N wedding ceremony itself. You want that the shutter speed is fast enough to
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
to come away with shots that capture freeze any subject or camera movement.
the emotion and atmosphere, but you For shots of the couple or individual people
also need to be discreet. you can use a wide aperture such as f/2.8
Check in advance whether there are any or f/4, but you will need a smaller aperture
restrictions regarding shooting during the such as f/8 to keep the whole congregation
ceremony that you need to be aware of, as in focus, even with a wide-angle lens.
not all venues allow you to take pictures Another key shot after the exchange
all the time. If you can shoot during the of rings is the signing of the register.
FHUHPRQ\\RX·OOQHHGWRÀQGDSRVLWLRQ You won’t be allowed to shoot the actual
where you won’t be a distraction. Be as signing as it’s a legal process, but most
GLVFUHHWDVSRVVLEOHE\XVLQJWKHTXLHW4 venues allow time to recreate the moment
GULYHPRGHRQ\RXU1LNRQ²LIDYDLODEOH² for photos. The main challenge when
and make sure that you have any ‘beeps’ shooting this is that the faces of the
turned off. If you can’t shoot during the bride and groom are often in shadow,
ceremony, it’s usually possible to set up particularly if there’s a window or other
some shots afterwards. light source behind them. You can
The lighting is usually poor inside most overcome this by either increasing the
NIKON SKILLS
wedding venues, and you probably won’t exposure (if you don’t mind losing some
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Shot ideas
Q The bride and groom EXCHANGING
RINGS, and then KISSING
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SLR ADVICE
Shoot a fake
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
wedding
Even if you’ve shot
weddings before, it
never hurts to get
some practice
before the day.
Try to get some
friends or family
together so that
you can mimic as
many of the shots
and locations from
NIKON SKILLS
the day as
possible.
NIKOPEDIA
to short telephoto
fter the ceremony and the signing time, down to 200 or 400, and then get
A RIWKHUHJLVWHU\RX·OOQHHGWRÀQGD
location near the exit to capture the
couple walking back down the aisle
and leaving the church. For the shots inside
the venue you should leave the ISO on a
the couple and some guests to stop at the
doorway. Depending on the venue, you
may want to shoot them in the entrance
porch of the building, or alternatively on
the steps or just outside the doorway.
Exposure mode
Aperture
ISO
Focus mode
Drive mode
Aperture-priority
f/4
1600, then 400
Continuous
Continuous
high value, such as 1600, to ensure that With this shot in the bag you can get
the shutter speed is fast enough. Switch the a shot of the couple walking through the
autofocus to Continuous mode to allow it crowd of guests, especially if the guests are Shot ideas
to track the couple as they walk back down allowed to throw confetti or rice. Get the Q The couple walking back
the aisle. A standard zoom lens is perfect JXHVWVRQ\RXUVLGHIRUWKLVRQH²LIWKH\DOO ALONG THE AISLE
for most of these shots as the longer end throw on your command, you’ll get a much
will allow you to keep the couple larger in more effective photograph. When trying to Q The couple AT THE DOORWAY
the frame, while the wider end will allow FDSWXUHWKHFRQIHWWLLWFDQKHOSWRÀQGDORZ of the venue
ESSENTIAL KIT
you to include more of the surroundings viewpoint and shoot up towards the couple, Q The couple being showered
and guests in your shots. rather than from eye level. by CONFETTI
Once you have got your shots inside the Finally, you need to get a shot of the
venue you can move outside to capture the couple with the wedding car, getting into Q The couple getting into the
WEDDING CAR
couple leaving it. As you’ll be in better light, and even together inside the car with the
you can reduce the ISO setting if you have crowds of guests surrounding it.
SHOT 7
The married couple
before the reception
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
ÁDVK\RXFDQXVHWKLVWROLJKWWKHEULGHDQG
groom, rather than simply relying on the Lens Standard zoom and
ambient light. However, this isn’t a time to background in focus, while for the close- short telephoto
XVHÁDVKLI\RXDUHQ·WFRPSOHWHO\FRQÀGHQW ups you can use a wider aperture, such as Exposure mode Aperture-priority
with it. Whether you want something f/4, to blur the background and isolate the Aperture f/4–f/11
formal or relaxed, you’ll need to work bride and groom. You want to get at least ISO 200
quickly to get three or four different shots one ‘banker’ shot during this shoot, but it’s
Focus mode Single-servo
of the couple, from full-length (including also worth experimenting a little using
WKHVXUURXQGLQJVDVDEDFNGURSWRDPRUH techniques such as backlighting the couple Drive mode Single
intimate close-up shot. and exposing for their faces to produce a
)RUWKHZLGHUVKRWV²WKHRQHVWKDW
LQFOXGHWKHVXUURXQGLQJV²XVHDQDSHUWXUH
high-key, more romantic look. You could
even shoot with out-of-focus foliage
Shot ideas
of f/8 or f/11 to keep both the couple and between you and the couple. Q Classic HEAD SHOT OF THE BRIDE
Q WIDER SHOT of the couple and their
ESSENTIAL KIT
surroundings
Shoot wide and long
Q Backlit CLOSE-UP of the couple
Try to get both a wide shot and a tighter, closer shot of
Q BRIDE AND GROOM kissing or
as many scenes as possible. This will give you a much better looking at each other
and more varied choice of shots to present to the couple.
SLR ADVICE
Bring a small stepladder
or stepstool. This will enable
you to reach a slightly
elevated viewpoint, which is
SHOT 8 perfect for getting a better
view of the people towards
the back of group shots
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
FKDOOHQJHLVÀQGLQJDORFDWLRQ regimented lines of guests, as this will
suitable for the group shots. This is best make your shots look boring. Instead,
done in advance of the day itself, but make arrange the guests at different levels, with
sure that you take account of where the sun some sitting, kneeling or even standing on
will be on the day. It’s also worth having a a wall or steps. This will inject a little more
back-up location in mind, with some cover interest into your group shots. Whichever
for the guests in case the weather makes style of group shot you choose, avoid using
your preferred location unsuitable. Before extreme wide-angle lenses when near to
the day of the wedding you should compile WKHJURXSDVWKLVZLOOPDNHWKHÀJXUHV
a list of the groups you need to shoot, in appear unnatural and distorted. Try to use
consultation with the couple. Try to keep a moderate wide-angle such as 24mm on a
LWWRÀYHWRHLJKWJURXSVLQWRWDORWKHUZLVH DX Nikon and 35mm on an FX model.
you’ll be spending hours sorting out the Once you have done the individual
different people and getting your shots. groups, you may want to do a shot of all
On the day, ask the ushers or best man to of the guests together. If there is a large
help organise the groups. You need to be number of guests this can be a bit of a
clear and decisive in your instructions to challenge to arrange and organise, and
NIKON SKILLS
get each shot done as quickly as possible. you’ll also need a high viewpoint to be able
<RX·OOQHHGWREHÀUPZKHQDUUDQJLQJWKH to see all of the guests’ faces, but it can be a
© iStock
NIKOPEDIA
Exposure mode Aperture-priority
Aperture f/8
ISO 200
Focus mode Single-servo
Drive mode Continuous
Shot ideas
Q Get some group shots with the
GUESTS INTERACTING with each
other, as well as simply looking
towards the camera
Q Try arranging the main groups at
ESSENTIAL KIT
SHOT 9
Speeches and informal reception shots
ith all of the main formalities out avoid both camera shake and subject
W of the way, you will be on the home movement. Shoot in short bursts rather
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
stretch to capturing all of your than single shots, too. This will ensure that
images for the day. During the \RXFDSWXUHDQDWXUDOORRNLQJEXWÁDWWHULQJ
speeches you should aim to get some portrait, as it’s all too easy to get some odd
informal images, and during the rest of expressions while people are talking.
the reception you can concentrate on Along with the portraits of the people
capturing candid shots of the wedding making the speeches, remember to shoot
party and guests as they start to let their some shots of the reactions of the bride,
hair down and relax. JURRPDQGRWKHUJXHVWV²WKH\ZRQ·WEH
For the speeches you should use a longer paying any attention to you, so you can
focal length lens, such as a get them at their most natural.
70-200mm, and a wide The nature of shooting candids and
PRO TIP aperture such as f/4 to informal shots means that you’ll end up
It’s the little moments isolate the individual with several shots that you won’t want the
during the day, such as a ÀJXUHVRUVPDOO bride and groom to see. People pull all sorts
quiet chat between the groups. In poorly lit of faces when they’re talking or listening,
bride and her mother, that venues you will also and not all of them make great photos. It’s
NIKON SKILLS
the bride and groom will need to use a high really important to go through these (and
remember, so be ready ISO, such as 800, DOORI\RXURWKHUVKRWVRIFRXUVHDIWHUWKH
to capture those to keep the shutter ZHGGLQJDQGRQO\SLFNWKHPRVWÁDWWHULQJ
speed high enough to images to present to the couple.
Shot ideas
Q INDIVIDUAL SHOTS of the groom,
best man and bride’s father making
speeches
ESSENTIAL KIT
the speech
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
NIKON SKILLS
SHOT 10
Evening shots
or shots of the evening festivities dance. To add a sense of movement you can
ESSENTIAL SETTINGS:
Evening shots
F you can take a much more relaxed
approach than you could during the
day. You can shoot candids of the
guests, along with some informal group
shots. The lighting for the evening
WU\VRPHVORZV\QFÁDVKIRUWKLVVKRW8VHD
shutter speed of around 1/15 to 1/8 sec and
adjust the aperture to correctly expose the
EDFNJURXQGWKHQVHWWKHÁDVKRQ77/WR
light the happy couple. By using this
Use these settings to
capture your shots
Lens Standard zoom
festivities will usually be very dark, so it’s technique and moving the camera you can
NIKOPEDIA
Exposure mode Manual
EHVWWRXVHDÁDVKEXW\RXZDQWWRFDSWXUH DGGVRPHEOXUZKLOHWKHÁDVKZLOONHHSWKH
Aperture 1/60 sec to 1/8 sec
some of the ambient lighting too, rather couple sharp.
For more formal evening shots you can ISO 800
WKDQOHWWKHÁDVKRYHUSRZHULWFRPSOHWHO\
so set your Nikon to manual exposure also set up a small photo booth in a quiet Focus mode Single-servo
mode, with the shutter speed set to 1/60 area of the venue. This approach will Drive mode Continuous
sec and a high ISO such as 800. Adjust the allow you to take more control of the
aperture so that you can see the ambient
background light in your images, and use
VHWXSLQFOXGLQJRIIFDPHUDÁDVKDQG
enables you to shoot a series of portraits of
Shot ideas
WKHÁDVKWROLJKWWKHPDLQVXEMHFWV small groups of guests. It’s best to get these Q The FIRST DANCE of the bride and
<RXUÀQDOFUXFLDOWDVNRIWKHGD\ZLOO shots done early in the evening, though, groom using slow-sync flash.
EHWRFDSWXUHWKHEULGHDQGJURRP·VÀUVW before the festivities get too far advanced! Q Informal, RELAXED SHOTS of the
guests or small groups
Q Set-up a small area to shoot more
Take back-up
ESSENTIAL KIT
MASTER
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
MAGNIFICENT
MONOCHROME
Get your best black-and-white shots ever
with our guide to shooting, converting
and adjusting your images
NIKON SKILLS
E
ven though we see, and can colours in the scene are converted into
capture, the world around us in all shades of grey. It doesn’t have to stop
its colour, the simplicity of black there, though, as you can also adjust the
and white has always made it a overall tones, exposure and contrast of
popular medium for photography. your black-and-white image, and finally
But there’s more to capturing effective, use selective adjustments to fine-tune
engaging black-and-white images than the exposure and contrast in different
simply removing the colours. areas of your image.
First you need to choose the right This final step isn’t something new,
subject, lighting and composition. as black-and-white photographers
Successful monochrome images rely on have been using image manipulation
texture and detail, contrast and shape, almost since the dawn of photography.
so you need to be able to recognise when But instead of being the preserve of
the subject in front of you will work when a few darkroom gurus, these imaging
the colours are taken away. Then you techniques are now available to every
NIKOPEDIA
need to use some simple software skills photographer. So over the coming pages
to enhance your black-and-white shots. you’ll learn how to find suitable subjects,
This means using the tools in Photoshop convert your shots and finally fine-tune
or Lightroom to adjust how the different your images like a pro.
ESSENTIAL KIT
83
Nikon Photographer’s Handbook
BLACK AND WHITE
SLR ADVICE
ARCHITECTURE
The perfect combination of strong lines, intricate textures and bold forms
makes architecture an ideal subject for black-and-white photography
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
W
hen you are looking for potential work well in black and white. These materials are These can offer a contrast to more traditional
black-and-white subjects, buildings particularly interesting when there is strong side materials, or could be used in isolation.
have many of the perfect elements. The lighting to bring out the texture and detail in the When shooting reflective surfaces, such as
simple, graphic shapes that make up surface. Alternatively you can look out for more glass or steel, you can have problems with bright
the structure of a building can produce excellent modern materials such as glass or steel, which reflections creating too much contrast. You can
mono images, while the materials used in the have a smoother, more uniform surface texture. use a polariser to reduce reflections on glass,
construction will offer a range of texture and to help achieve a more uniform surface, but this
tones that work well in monochrome. won’t work on metal surfaces. The best option
You need the right weather conditions when is to shoot in more overcast conditions, so that
shooting outdoor architectural images. If you are there are fewer reflections.
including the sky in your shot it should contain
interesting textures. A blue sky with some cloud is
perfect as you can increase the contrast to create GRAPHIC SHAPES
a strong, moody sky. In heavier cloud you can still From ancient structures to modernist
get good results, but you should be able to make architecture, buildings are full of strong, graphic
NIKON SKILLS
out detail and shape in the clouds. elements that make great subjects for black and
Then you need to choose the right time of day white. When looking for details and shapes that
to shoot. You need there to be some light on the will work without colour you will often need to
building, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be in crop in on small areas of the subject, so you’ll
full sunlight. The shadows cast by other parts of need to use a longer focal length lens than you
the building or other structures can help provide would when shooting the whole building.
interesting contrasts and shapes, while overcast Look for compositions where you can isolate
conditions will create a softer, more diffuse the details, excluding any areas that take
lighting, ideal for shooting details. attention away from the main area that you
are shooting. You should also try different
compositions for your details, from the traditional
TEXTURE AND DETAIL ‘correct’ viewpoint (ie keeping the uprights in the
Traditional building materials such as stone, wood Bright light will bring out the shape of the building subject straight), to shooting with the camera
and even brick are full of textures and detail that and the textures in the materials used to build it angled to give the shot a more dynamic look.
NIKOPEDIA
Raw in Photoshop you will find the same you want to alter. To access this you need
options on the HSL/Grayscale tab – just to click on the small icon at the top-left
tick the Convert to grayscale option at of the Black & White Mix palette, then
the top of the palette. click on the area of the image that you
These sliders allow you to adjust how want to alter and drag the cursor down
each colour is converted into a grey tone. to darken it and up to make it lighter.
86
BLACK AND WHITE
SLR ADVICE
of a low-key image, on the other hand, will appear
much more sombre, serious and introspective.
PORTRAITS
To achieve a high-key look you need to shoot
against a bright background. You can get this
by shooting outside in available light, against a
window or by using a light-coloured wall indoors.
Black and white can create more intense and If you are shooting indoors you can brighten the
background by lighting it with flash, and you
more characterful images – here’s how… should also make sure that the light on the main
subject is soft, to avoid too many strong shadows.
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
The dark tones of a low-key image are easiest
to achieve by shooting in a dark environment and
U
sing black and white for portraits frees you as under cover of foliage or in a bright yet shaded then lighting the subject using flash. You need
from the distraction of colourful clothes or area. If you have to shoot in direct sunlight, use a to control the lighting so that the background
backgrounds and can help to focus more reflector to bounce light back onto the subject to remains dark, and you can also make use of
attention on your subject’s character or lighten the shadows, or place a diffuser (or even strong, directional lighting to get pronounced
face. You can influence the mood of the image by a white cloth) between the light source and the dark shadows on the subject.
choosing different expressions and lighting, so model to soften the sunlight. You can enhance
you need to think about the style of shot that you this look by using the colour controls when you
want to achieve before you press the shutter. convert your images to lighten the red and yellow
As with any other subject, the key to successful tones in your black-and-white image, which will
black-and-white portraits is the lighting. Strong reduce imperfections in the skin tones.
side lighting will emphasise the features and even
imperfections of your subject, but give a stronger,
more powerful result; while softer, more diffuse CHARACTER PORTRAITS
lighting will give a more subtle result, which is Using directional lighting to create strong
perfect for more flattering portraits. shadows is perfect for more characterful black-
NIKON SKILLS
and-white portraits. The shadows will bring
out the textures in the subject’s skin, especially
CLASSIC PORTRAITS wrinkles, so this style of portrait isn’t the most
Using black and white for a portrait immediately flattering. You may need to have a chat with your
gives a portrait a more classic feel, but you can model to check that they are happy with this look.
add to this with some simple lighting techniques.
For a more flattering portrait, shoot in diffuse
lighting. If you are lighting the subject with flash, HIGH-KEY AND LOW-KEY
use a large softbox or umbrella to soften the These two styles of black-and-white photo evoke
lighting, and position it as close to the model as very different moods. A high-key image contains
possible. If you are using natural light, choose a mostly lighter tones, and gives the image a bright Strong, directional light – from the sun or from
location where the light is naturally softer, such and happy feeling. The predominantly dark tones a flash – is ideal for character-packed images
NIKOPEDIA
Selectively altering the brightness in areas of an image is a
technique that’s been around since the days of the darkroom.
It enables you to enhance the impact of your black-and-white
shots, as you can bring out important areas and allow others
to recede into the background. This is particularly useful when
producing portraits, as you can use it to draw the viewer’s
attention to the subject’s face.
There are several ways to dodge and burn, but in Lightroom
or ACR you can use the Adjustment Brush to ‘paint’ over an
area, then use the exposure slider to lighten or darken it. For
more subtle adjustments you can alter the contrast, or use the
Highlights or Shadows controls to affect only the light or dark
tones of the area that you have painted over.
ESSENTIAL KIT
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
From your home town to an exotic location, black and white will emphasise
the effects of light, shadows and graphic shapes in your street photography
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Y
ou’ll often find that shooting in black and you achieve simpler, more striking results. But or where you don’t want any detail in the shadows.
white rather than colour will help reduce there are also plenty of other ways that you can The alternative approach is to let the highlights
many of the distractions that can weaken improve your black-and-white street images. become over-exposed, but keep more detail in
the impact of your street photographs. the shadows by over exposing by around one
For example, shooting in colour, a bright red sign stop. This will produce a brighter shot, which
in the background of a shot will be obvious and LOOK FOR SHADOWS emphasises the light flooding into the scene.
distract from your main subject. But in black and The strong, graphic shapes created by shadows of
white, the same sign will be recorded as grey or people, buildings and street furniture make great
black, and will blend into the background much subjects for black and white. The shadows will be PEOPLE POWER
better than in colour. So, simply converting longer early or late in the day, so these are ideal Including people in your street scenes adds a
your street images to monochrome can help times to get out and shoot monochrome street sense of scale and location, and you can also use
scenes. When shooting these shadows you can them as focal points in your images. If the people
either keep the subject that created them in the are static, then all you need to do is pick your
frame to give some context, or crop your image composition and shoot, but in a busy city this isn’t
so that it only contains the shadow for a more always possible. When the people are moving you
NIKON SKILLS
abstract result. When you are shooting shadows can either freeze their movement with a short
you may need to under-expose the image by a half shutter speed such as 1/30 sec or faster, or use
to one stop to make sure that the shadows are a slower shutter speed to add some blur.
recorded as dark black, for the greatest impact. If you are freezing the movement it can take
several shots and perfect timing (or a little luck)
for the figures to be perfectly positioned in your
SHOOT INTO THE LIGHT composition, so be prepared to wait a little while
Another great reason to shoot early or late in to get the perfect shot. Blurring the movement
the day, when the sun is lower in the sky, is so will give the scene a more eerie appearance, but
that you can shoot into the light (also known as can also give it a sense of bustle. You’ll need to
contre jour). This technique is perfect for creating use a shutter speed of around 1/4 sec for fast-
high-contrast black-and-white images, often with moving crowds, or even longer if the figures are
strong shadows. When you are shooting into the walking slowly. A tripod is the best solution for
light it’s often impossible to keep detail in both avoiding camera shake when using this technique,
the highlights and the shadows of your images, so but if you don’t have one with you (which is often
NIKOPEDIA
you have to decide which is the most important. the case with street photography) try supporting
If you want deep shadows plus plenty of highlight the camera on a solid surface, such as a wall,
Strong shadows add drama to monochrome street detail, under-expose by a half to one stop. This is fence or bollard, and take several shots in a
scenes, while people give shots a sense of scale perfect for subjects that will work as silhouettes, burst to ensure you have one that’s sharp.
Monochrome Picture Control. This will allow Control in the settings to revert to a colour
you to review the images that you have shot in image) . If you open the RAW file in any other
black and white to give you a better idea of how RAW software, such as Adobe Camera Raw or
they will appear. You can also get a preview of Lightroom, the image will revert to colour and
the black-and-white image by you will have to convert it to black and white
using Live View mode. using the software controls.
90
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
BREAK THE RULES
NIKON SKILLS
Capture more interesting and original images on your very next shoot by breaking
with convention and taking an unorthodox approach to your photography
P
hotography is art, and under perfect light, or have the highest
art is all about personal number of pixels. All it has to do is to
expression. Armed speak to you, to capture something that
with a camera, you have is beautiful, or important, or that may
the freedom to express otherwise have been lost.
yourself in whatever Conventions and rules are there to be
way you choose. You can take pictures of broken. On this the great photographers
anything and, despite what you may have all seem to be in agreement. Diane Arbus,
NIKOPEDIA
heard from various competitions, judging master of the eccentric portrait, saw it
panels, teachers or social media forums, like this: “There’s a kind of rightness and
the idea of what makes a ‘good’ photo is wrongness and sometimes I like rightness
entirely subjective. A photo doesn’t need and sometimes I like wrongness.” So with
to be pin-sharp to be good. It doesn’t need that in mind, over the next ten pages
to follow the rule of thirds, or be taken we’ll offer a few ideas and suggestions
to help you turn convention on its head
(or on the case of our opening image, its
side). Either think of these suggestions
as a springboard for further exploration
or – in the spirit of thinking outside the
box – disregard them and come up with
your own list!
ESSENTIAL KIT
Throw all the rules on framing out of the window and compose to suit the subject instead
Tilt your
camera
A wonky horizon can add
extra dynamism to both
portraits and landscapes
We go to great lengths to ensure our
horizons are straight, using tripod-
mounted spirit levels or our Nikon’s
virtual horizon (top tip: set this up
NIKON SKILLS
SLR ADVICE
5 Rules for
composition
You have to know the rules before you can break them...
1 Rule of thirds
Divide your scene into
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
three with imaginary horizontal
and vertical lines, then place
points of interest, like a person
or horizon, on these third lines.
2 Natural frames
Use natural frames in
the scene, such as a doorway,
1
3 Leading lines
Look for lines that run
through an image, like a road
or a wall, and position your
subject so that the lines lead 2
NIKON SKILLS
towards it, drawing the viewer’s
eye to what’s important.
4 Golden triangle
Draw a diagonal line
between two corners of your
image, then run a third line
perpendicular from the line to
the other corners. Place the 3
An excellent piece of advice when
Shoot from composing a frame is to scan the
subject on the intersection.
5
edges of the viewfinder before
the hip taking the shot. It’s the edges that go
unnoticed, so unwanted distractions
Golden ratio
The ratio of 1:1.618 appears
Compose without looking can easily creep into the corners
throughout nature and art.
through the viewfinder of your scene. But when you think
Make a square, sized one unit,
for loose, spontaneous
NIKOPEDIA
then add on an extra 0.618. Add
about it, the viewfinder can be a
and engaging photos different type of distraction. It’s a
a square on the long side to
create the next rectangle, and
barrier between you and whatever it 4
repeat to find the sweet spot.
is you’re photographing, and it covers
up your most important means of
communication – your face.
So why not take a maverick
approach, free yourself from the
confines of that rectangular box, and
shoot from the hip? This works well
for portraits; catch your subject off-
guard and grab a shot while they think
you’re taking a break (left). It can also
help if you want to be inconspicuous.
ESSENTIAL KIT
93
BREAK THE RULES
SLR ADVICE
We’ve all seen photos of well-known beauty spots, many of which draw photographers in
large numbers. Breaking the rules will give your shots of familiar locations a fresh feel
NIKON SKILLS
NIKOPEDIA
Here’s a true story: a landscape photographer was running and ISO100 – check; and so on. Of course, many of these
Compose with a workshop and one of the attendees mentioned that he conventions will lead to great photography (and yes, we hear
didn’t like a certain location because there wasn’t much you scream, photography magazines are just as culpable as
your heart foreground interest. Now, this was a spectacular spot anything else for pushing them on us), but if we follow the
(Dartmoor in Devon), but rather than attempting to capture same routine every time, there’s a danger that all our photos
rather than the scene in all its unique rugged beauty, the learner will look very similar, and ultimately not all that original.
ESSENTIAL KIT
concluded that a landscape photo must fit certain criteria So next time you’re out shooting, whatever the subject
your head to be any good, whether or not those criteria reflect the may be, stop for a moment and think of a way to capture
landscape in front of them. it that you haven’t tried before. It might be something as
Challenge yourself to There’s nothing wrong with foreground interest, but it simple as cropping out the sky like in this scene, or shooting
approach a new scene without shouldn’t necessarily be the default. The point is, it’s easy to it with a different lens, changing your usual settings, or
preconceptions on how it fall into a routine, to begin a shoot with a checklist: sunset trying an unusual angle. The results may be great and they
should be photographed – check; foreground interest – check; tripod – check; f/16 may be awful, but at the very least, they’ll be unexpected.
SLR ADVICE
Consulting the rules of
composition before taking a
photograph is like consulting
the laws of gravity before
going for a walk
Edward Weston
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Blur on
purpose
A little camera movement
can lead to a creative
in-camera effect
Modern sensors offer a level of image
NIKON SKILLS
detail that has never been possible
until now. It’s an exciting time, but
images are not just made up of pixels,
they’re also made of colours and
shapes, and there’s something to be
said for a complete lack of fine detail.
Blurring a scene with camera
motion is one way to eliminate detail
and reduce it to abstract smudges
that give the image a painterly feel. In
the shot below, tipping the camera up
and down over the course of a quarter-
second exposure has led to vertical
blur that was more effective than Why not
the sharp version of our scene. Shoot it shallow try?
NIKOPEDIA
In some situations you may need to
use a lens-mounted ND filter to block
Do landscapes always have to boast
maximum depth of field?
Restrict
some of the light in order to achieve a
shutter speed slow enough to allow
Depth of field is usually at the forefront of our minds when
for a little camera movement (see
your gear
setting up for a landscape shot. It’s why we cart heavy
page 86). But in a shady spot like the
tripods up mountains and down river beds, as they enable
woods here, using aperture-priority
us to use slower shutter speeds and narrow apertures for
mode with a low ISO and a small
maximum front-to-back sharpness. Some photographers
aperture was enough to slow the Steve Jobs only ever wore a black
will go to the trouble of working out the hyperfocal
shutter speed down sufficiently. roll-neck top and jeans to work. Why?
distance to achieve the greatest area of sharpness, while
because he didn’t want to have to dedicate precious
others will set their focus point one-third of the way into
time and thought to deciding what to wear every day.
the scene and hope for the best.
The point is, sometimes restricting your choices can
The default is often to use an aperture of f/16 (any
lead to greater creativity. Next time you go on a trip, why
higher can lead to softening caused by diffraction). But
not forego the bagful of zoom lenses and instead take
ESSENTIAL KIT
Explore methods of photographing people that are as unique and distinctive as your subject
We’re told that there are certain to the eyes, or too tight to the top of Cropping off the mouth here, for
Cut it out places in a body that are good ‘crop the head; instead we should make a example, focuses attention on the
points’. The list of dos and don’ts is definite crop into the forehead. subject’s most interesting facial
Add intrigue and impact long, and reads like a screenplay for Many of these rules can help, both features – the fiery hair and blue
to your portraits with Dexter: don’t cut off feet, crop into when framing a portrait in-camera, eyes. So why not try framing half a
a dramatic crop the shins (but not the calves); don’t and when cropping later on. But a face, or trim the tips of someone’s
chop off fingers, wrists or knuckles, daring crop can have just as much toes, or perhaps forget the face
crop above elbows instead; don’t cut impact. It grabs the attention and, altogether? Hands can tell us almost
at the crotch, crop above the knees. by excluding parts of the body, draws as much about a person, so why not
With close-ups, don’t crop too close extra attention to whatever remains. focus attention on them instead?
NIKON SKILLS
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT
96
SLR ADVICE
Go wide
Try using a wide-angle
lens for close-ups
Lenses with a fixed focal length of
around 80-100mm (such as Nikon’s
classic 85mm f/1.4D) are often referred
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
to as ‘portrait lenses’. The reason for
this has to do with the way different
lenses will alter perspective. Longer
focal lengths have a compressing
effect that makes elements that
are far apart seem closer together.
Shorter focal lengths, meanwhile,
exaggerate the differences in distance
instead (if you’ve ever looked through
a wide-angle lens at your own feet,
you’ll know what we mean). 85mm
is a classic lens for portraits because loom larger than many subjects Why not
it’s a flattering length that results would like. However, the distortion
in a perfectly proportioned face. By can be put to great use to add a sense
try?
contrast, wide-angles distort facial of humour to your portraits, or to give
features, making the nose and forehead them more of an in-your-face feel.
NIKON SKILLS
Forget the eyes
Vary your point of focus and draw attention to
different parts of your subject’s face or body
It’s one of the most important rules in great on the camera’s LCD, only to
portraiture: the eyes must be in focus. find out later that the eyes are slightly
It doesn’t matter if everything else soft). The reason why they need to be
dissolves into blur, as long as those sharp is because eyes are a portrait’s
NIKOPEDIA
important feature is, apart Sometimes the less you show in a photo,
from the person holding the the more meaning you can tease out of
camera? Why not champion it. Intentionally hiding something is a
a different facial feature provocative move that dares the viewer
instead? For an off-beat to look harder for the purpose of the
portrait, find an unusual image. It lets you explore themes in your
angle and focus on another images, rather than specifics. Perhaps
facial feature – perhaps the you could hide the face, or obscure your
nose, the lips, the ears – or subject behind something, or show a
draw attention to a character person in silhouette, or with their back
feature like a body piercing, turned, or maybe just their shadow.
tattoo or scar.
ESSENTIAL KIT
that the moving parts of the image are recorded as blur. trumps the need for detail.
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
There are no rules and regulations for perfect
composition. If there were we would be able
to put all the information into a computer and
would come out with a masterpiece. You have to
compose by the seat of your pants
Arnold Newman
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Go to
extraordinary
lengths
Pick an ill-suited focal length for great results
NIKON SKILLS
One way in which you can give your images more impact is
to use an unconventional focal length. Sports scenes are
usually shot with long zoom lenses, but why not try to find a
way to use a wide-angle instead, or even a fish-eye? Wildlife,
too, is usually seen through the barrel of a super-telephoto. Sometimes what is going on around the action has the
A different approach can potentially yield more Look potential to be just as interesting as the action itself, as
interesting results. For example, wildlife maestro Nick you can see in this image of spectators at a cycling event.
Brandt approaches his African wildlife subjects like fine behind you The reactions of those watching, or the little details that
art, with a medium-format camera and wide-angle lens, could be easily missed, can tell us just as much about
resulting in extraordinary images. Similarly, the default for
Focus on the background the drama of the situation. If a celebrity walks into the
a landscape scene is often to reach for a wide-angle. But at spectacles and events room, a footballer scores a goal, the Queen passes by in a
why not try a telephoto instead and pick out distant details? to capture the drama motorcade, or any other spectacle occurs, keep one eye
The compressing effect of a longer lens can help to simplify on the spectators and you may find a more interesting or
busy scenes by flattening out the perspective. original take on the scene.
NIKOPEDIA
Why not
try?
Point of view
If you’re up for a challenge, and don’t mind a bit of trial-and-
error, a fun way to get in on the action – quite literally – is
to capture something you’re doing from your own point of
view, such as mountain biking, skiing, or, in the case of our
image on the right, spinning kids around at arm’s length.
The trick with this sort of image is to pre-focus at the
ESSENTIAL KIT
Find an unusual angle or an interesting twist to capture majestic buildings in new ways
Shoot ’em up
Aim straight up at buildings
and structures to celebrate
their bold angular shapes
The most successful architecture is
usually a perfect marriage of form
and function, but with architectural
photography we can dispense with
the function and celebrate just the
form. One way this can be achieved
NIKON SKILLS
patterns and
shapes, and Shoot from ground level or from
can bring out up high for a fresh angle
interesting
textures, but If you sit at a desk for eight hours a day, it probably feels
bold blocks of like the most familiar spot on the planet. But have you
colour like the ever viewed that same desk while standing on top of it?
blue here can Or while hanging from the ceiling? Or even through the
work as well. window from the building across the street? The point is,
even the most familiar scenes can look fresh and new if
you can find an original angle from which to capture them
Varying your camera height can have a big impact here.
I used to think you could learn how to be If you think about it, most of the things and places around
a photographer by learning the rules of us that we think we’re completely familiar with are only
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Take a sideways look
Transform ordinary street scenes into
abstract forms with a simple twist
Often the beauty in architectural photography, and in
the architecture itself, is in the angles, lines and shapes
that make up the outline of the building. One of the best
ways to draw attention to shape is with contrast, or, if
you like, the arrangement of light objects against dark
backgrounds, and vice-versa. Think how well the shape of
a silhouette stands out against a bright backdrop, or how
a white lily contrasts with a dark pool. With architecture,
the greatest contrast in the scene is usually between the
building and the sky, as skies are invariably much brighter
NIKON SKILLS
than buildings. When composing your frame, think about
how you can use this contrast to your advantage.
To the left, a wide angle has been used to capture the
jagged, angular shapes of the streets of Ghent. But who
says that just because we see the world the right way up, a
photo has to do the same? Henri Cartier-Bresson, perhaps
the greatest ever composer of a frame, had a good piece
of advice for those looking to judge the strength of a
particular composition: turn the photo upside down.
This helps you to analyse the frame in a detached way,
by bringing the arrangement of shapes to the fore while
muting the subject matter. If the frame has balance
upside-down, it’ll work the right way up too. And if it looks
especially striking while upside down, or on its side, as in
the image above, why not leave it that way?
NIKOPEDIA
Why not
try?
Find a niche
Great photography often emerges from single-minded
dedication over a long period, whether to a location, a
subject, or a piece of kit. By exploring a theme over time
(six months, a year, a decade, or a lifetime) you can push
the boundaries of convention and go beyond what’s been
done before. Perhaps you live near a location that you
can revisit repeatedly to find the best angle and light.
ESSENTIAL KIT
Nikon 124
Skills
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
122
103
104
XXXXXXX
132
110
Y
ou don’t need lots of and, with each frame, moving If you’re not a fan of heavy
OIntermediate specialist kit to shoot the flash a bit further along post-production work, you
OAdvanced
cars like the pros. By the car. Then you’ll need to could be forgiven for asking,
Kit needed combining shooting take the flash closer in and “Why use this technique?”
ONikon SLR techniques and a bit of highlight the wheels and Well, because it saves you
OTripod Photoshopping, you can other details. After that, it’s from hiring the massive
OMonopod highlight the shoulder line of just a matter of combining overhead lights that the pros
OFlashgun a classic sports car to create the images in Photoshop. use for car shoots, where the
OFlash bracket mount a photo with some real class. We shot our car in a garage costs can run into tens and
OWireless triggers Your lone flashgun and because it was raining, but sometimes hundreds of
ESSENTIAL KIT
OSoftbox softbox won’t give the you can do this shoot outside thousands of pounds. Also,
OCar or other vehicle
coverage of a pro lighting in low light or at night time you get to hang around and
set-up, so to get your finished (the darker the ambient light, gawp at beautiful works of
image, you’ll need to take the easier it is to under- engineering – not bad for a
several shots of the car, expose the background for day’s shooting! So, let’s see
lighting it from above, that mean and moody look). what you need to do.
105
Nikon Photographer’s Handbook
SLR ADVICE
2 3
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
4
NIKON SKILLS
Wipe it up
Have a microfibre
cloth and a chamois
to hand to wipe down
the surface of the car.
Cars are extremely
hard to photograph
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
STEP BY STEP / Do a quick lap
Highlight
the features
You can highlight the
spokes of the wheels
or any other details by
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
moving the light round
to the front side of the
car and holding it close
to the feature. If your
softbox is too big and
obscures the car too
1 Lock the focus 2 Set up the camera much, fix a smaller
Put your Nikon on a tripod and raise the legs to the Set an aperture of f/14, a shutter speed of 1/200 sec
softbox or another
height of the car door. Turn on autofocus and lock on to (to match the sync speed of the flash), and ISO100. Set
flash diffuser, like an
the centre of the car with single-point AF. You won’t move a self-timer of 20 seconds, with the maximum number
umbrella, to your flash.
your camera, so once the focus is locked, switch to of frames (nine) and maximum interval time of 3 secs to
manual focus to prevent the focus point from changing. give yourself time to move the light between frames.
NIKON SKILLS
3 Prepare the flash 4 Shoot to thrill
Put the wireless triggers on your flash and camera, fix Finally, engage your Nikon’s self-timer and run into
the flash and softbox to the flash bracket mount, then position behind the back end of the car, holding the
screw the mount onto the monopod. In Manual mode, flashgun out over the top of the car. You need to angle
set your flash power to ¼ power – any higher and it will
over-expose the highlights.
the monopod so the softbox leans out over the camera-
facing side of the car, where you want the light to hit.
Diffuse it all
NIKOPEDIA
Don’t take any shots
without the light being
diffused in some way,
whether it’s with a
softbox or another
type of diffuser. A bare
light will add a bright,
specular highlight and
accentuate any dirt
and texture on the
surface of the car –
two things you don’t
want on this shoot.
ESSENTIAL KIT
The mission
OCapture a stunning
star trail image
Time
OAt least three hours Jason Parnell-Brookes tries his hand at photographing star trails
Skill level
S
OBeginner tar trail photos, with hemisphere, you’ll need to This made it the perfect
OIntermediate moving stars forming find the south celestial pole. location for us to photograph
OAdvanced streaks of light across A big part of photographing our star trails. The weather in
Kit needed the night sky, are the night sky successfully is Wales is notoriously
OSLR always popular. In this having low light pollution and changeable, so we needed to
OTripod tutorial, we’re going to walk clear, cloudless skies, so first keep a close eye on the
ORemote release you through how to shoot we had to do a bit of research forecast and made sure we
OCompass source images for a star trail to find a really dark sky, and a were all packed up and ready
OLightroom photo, and then how to clear night on which to to go as soon as an
NIKOPEDIA
111
Nikon Photographer’s Handbook
SLR ADVICE
4
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
2
NIKON SKILLS
Polaris
Red light
The low-light ‘rod’
receptors in your eyes
need time to adjust to The Plough
darkness, and a burst
of light means you’ll
have to wait for them
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
STEP BY STEP / Shooting stars
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
1 Hold still 2 Focus manually
We used a bungee cord to tie our bag to the tripod to The AF system won’t have enough light to focus so you
stabilise it in the wind. When shooting long exposures, must focus manually. If there are distant lights, focus
keep the camera as still as possible. Anything you can on these, then recompose. If not, get a friend to stand
do to steady the camera is a good thing. A bungee cord 40 to 50 feet in front of the camera and point a light
takes up little space and is worth throwing in your bag. towards you, focus on the light, then recompose.
NIKON SKILLS
Short, sharp
shots
3 Warm the glass 4 Get set up Instead of shooting a
Keep your lens warm to prevent it misting up as the Set your lens to its widest aperture. The stars are so far
sequence of hundreds
night gets colder. We wrapped our lens with a heated away a shallow depth of field won’t make any difference
of short exposures and
hand warmer and a small towel, with a rubber band to to the focusing of the shot. Set a shutter speed of
merging them in
hold it around the barrel. Be careful not to knock the between 20 and 30 seconds at ISO 200 and take a test
Photoshop, it’s
focus ring when wrapping your flannel around the lens. shot. If your shots are too dark, increase the ISO.
NIKOPEDIA
perfectly possible to
shoot a single,
super-long exposure of
an hour or more, but
the longer the
exposure, the higher
the noise in the
resulting image. This is
because image
sensors generate heat
from their own
electrified circuits, and
the sensor records this
heat/electrical
interference as noise.
ESSENTIAL KIT
some sense of
location
pollution
If you find your
images do have lots of
noise, don’t worry
because you can
reduce this in
Lightroom.
Go to the Develop
module, and in the
Detail panel (at the
bottom-right of
screen – you may
ESSENTIAL KIT
116
CREATE A MOONSTACK
SLR ADVICE
WATCH VIDEO ONLINE
www.bit.ly/phb2video
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Time
OUp to five hours of the moon across the night sky in a single composite image
Skill level
T
he full moon glowing over than the landscape, you will also shots at different intervals, as
OBeginner
a city at night can make for need to take an additional photo we did for our finished image.
OIntermediate
a very striking image, but to expose for the landscape Once you’ve found your ideal
OAdvanced
you don’t need to limit rather than the moon; this will time gap, you will need to keep it
Kit needed yourself to a single moon. You provide your final image with a consistent throughout the rest
ONikon SLR can shoot and create a lunar correctly-exposed backdrop. of the sequence – this will save
OMid-range timestack like this with nothing The challenge with creating a you plenty of time in the editing
telephoto zoom more than your Nikon SLR, moonstack is working out how process. You can do this
OStudy tripod a mid-range telephoto zoom, much time to leave between manually with a stop watch, or
OIntervalometer
a tripod, and image-editing photos. You need to ensure that you could use a built-in or
(optional)
software like Photoshop. there’s plenty of space between external intervalometer. With
ORemote release plus
The method is simple: take successive moons, but not too these, you just set the number
stopwatch (optional)
several photos of the moon as it much space. of shots you need, and the time
OPhotoshop or similar
moves through the sky, and then If you know where you want gap between shots, and then hit
NIKON SKILLS
editing software
use Photoshop to composite to shoot from, it might be worth your shutter release to begin the
them into one image. Because visiting your location a night or sequence. Turn the page to find
the moon will be much brighter two earlier to take some test out just how it’s done...
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT
1
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
4
NIKON SKILLS
SLR ADVICE
STEP BY STEP / Shoot for the moon
Lunar eclipse
To see where a lunar
eclipse will be visible on
Earth, check www.
timeanddate.com/
eclipse/list.html
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
It will go much darker
during an eclipse, so
you may have to adjust
your settings.
NIKON SKILLS
3 Stay sharp 4 Retain detail
Change your Nikon’s autofocus setting to single-point Expose for the moon. It will probably be much brighter
(this may be in your camera’s menu, or on an AF switch than surrounding sky/landscape, so the latter will look
on the body itself). Alternatively, engage Live View and almost black (see Step 8 for how to overcome this). If
use the zoom button and multi-selector to fill the screen you expose for the sky/landscape, the moon will be
with the moon, then focus the lens manually. over-exposed. We set 1/125 sec at f/11 and ISO200.
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT
Doubling up…
If you don’t want the
hassle of merging your
photos, another option
is to use the multiple
exposure feature on
your Nikon to take a
double exposure as the
moon moves across
the night sky.
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Take it further
Why not combine all
the phases of the moon
throughout the month?
Take a shot of the moon
each night and
1 Stack ’em up 2 Blend the layers composite them
Open Photoshop, and go to File>Script>Load Files into Change the top layer’s blending mode to Lighten.
together in Photoshop
Stack. Browse to and then select all of your moonstack Right-click on the layer and pick Copy Layer Style. Go
to demonstrate it
files, then click on Open. Click on OK. You’ll see all your to Select, and click on All Layers. Right-click on any layer
NIKOPEDIA
and dramatic
James Paterson reveals how to use a Speedlight off-camera to add drama
Time
OOne hour
to your portraits when shooting outdoors. It’s easier than it sounds!
Skill level
O
ne of the most creative a cable linking your Speedlight leads nor line of sight. Radio
OBeginner
things you can do with to your camera. As you can transmitters come in a variety of
OIntermediate
your Speedlights is to get imagine, the down side of this is models to suit your budget. The
OAdvanced
them off your camera’s that you’re then limited by the Hähnel triggers we’ve used here
Kit needed hotshoe and fire them remotely. length of the lead. are an inexpensive option, but as
ONikon SLR Some cameras and flashguns A third option is to use a radio they’re not TTL-compatible,
OSpeedlight with can be linked wirelessly so the transmitter. This is the most you’ll have to set the power
stand (or a willing flash is triggered by the convenient way to trigger a manually. This is more intuitive
assistant!) camera’s pop-up flash. This Speedlight, requiring neither than you might think…
OSpeedlight trigger
technique has its limits, in that
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
www.bit.ly/phb2video
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
freedom than sync
cables, and are more
reliable than optical
slaves. They typically
feature a transmitter
that attaches to your
1 Work out the ambient exposure 2 Under-expose the ambient light camera’s hotshoe, and
Set Manual mode on your camera and select a shutter The next step is to under-expose the ambient light, in
a receiver that goes on
speed of 1/200 sec or less (most flashes won’t work at our case by decreasing the aperture setting to f/5.6.
the flash. You can
speeds higher than this). Take a test shot to work out This gives a darkened image which is, in effect, the base
usually set a channel
the correct aperture and ISO for the ambient light – we exposure for the image. From here, you can use your
so that the transmitter
set a shutter speed of 1/125 sec at f/2.8 and ISO400. Speedlight to pick out your subject.
and receiver recognise
one another without
interference from
similar devices. The
more expensive
NIKON SKILLS
triggers like Pocket
Wizards offer extra
control and features
like through-the-lens
(TTL) metering, which
enables auto exposure,
whereas the more
basic models like the
Hähnel trigger used
here require you to set
3 Diffuse the flash 4 Set up the flash the flash power
Light from a small source like a Speedlight can be hard. Attach the flash to a stand or tripod, or get someone to manually.
If you can reflect the light or direct it through a diffusing hold it – if your flash isn’t triggered wirelessly by your
material, it will be much more flattering. You can use a camera’s built-in flash, now’s the time to attach your
white brolly attached to a stand or the diffusing panel sync cord or wireless flash trigger (see your trigger’s
from a five-in-one reflector held in front of the flash. manual for details on how to set the system up).
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT
www.bit.ly/phb2video
OOne hour
Skill level
I
nvesting in a home studio kit because the burst of light is subject, with each position
OBeginner is one of the best ways that almost instantaneous. changing the look of your image.
OIntermediate you can take your portraits to There are three main areas of Third, you can use the power
OAdvanced the next level. You can light control when using studio flash settings on the flash to control
Kit needed subjects from any direction, fix heads. First, you have control the output, which becomes
OHome studio flash kit attachments to change the over the quality and spread of important when you start
with softboxes and quality and spread of the light, the light through use of balancing the light from multiple
umbrellas and use a low ISO sensititvity on attachments like umbrellas, heads. Read on to find out how,
the camera to ensure the softboxes and grids. Second, by controlling these three
highest image quality. But you can put the head wherever factors, you can begin to sculpt
studio lighting can be a difficult you choose: up high, down low, the light so it behaves exactly
beast to master, not least in front of or behind your how you want it to, every time.
NIKON SKILLS
to two metres would mode, ISO100, 1/200 sec and f/11. Take a test which is the reason that larger softboxes produce
halve the strength, shot at these settings; if it’s too dark, widen your gentler light. Distance also plays a part, as moving
but it quarters it. To aperture or increase the power of the flash. If it’s a light closer effectively increases its size in
compensate, you’d too bright, do the opposite. relation to the subject.
either need to
increase the power
output by four times
3 Right angles 4 Balancing act
Here we used Setting the output is
or allow for two extra
‘Butterfly’ lighting, a delicate task when you’re
stops of aperture or
placing a softbox above using multiple lights, as
ISO. You can see the
the head to accentuate the ratio between the
Inverse Square law in
cheekbones and create different power levels is
action in step 2 where,
a butterfly-like shadow vital. For a classic lighting
because of the change
under the nose. Other set-up called ‘Key and Fill’,
in distance ratios
techniques include one flash (the ‘key’ light)
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
Quick tip
When using
multiple flash
heads, take test
shots with each
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
light individually
to get an idea of
how they will all
work together
areas with soft light. silver side of a reflector. tighter the beam.
2 Softbox reflector
Softboxes diffuse the These work by shaping
light just like umbrellas, and directing the flash
but the narrower spread into a hard beam of light
offered by a softbox that covers an angle of
gives you more control. around 90-120 degrees.
C
ontinuous lights are simply You can get a cheap constant Continuous lights help you to
OIntermediate
lights that stay on lighting kit that includes light capture studio portraits with a
OAdvanced
constantly. Speedlights stands and modifiers, saving difference: take a scarf or piece
Kit needed and other strobes only you some time and money. Light of thin fabric and drape it over
ONikon SLR output light when triggered, and stands are essential as they your model, and use a desk fan
OPortrait or kit lens have long recycling times, but keep the lights in position. Most to blow the scarf around. By
OContinuous lights continuous lights behave like a kits will also include light using a slow shutter speed and
OLight stands light bulb. As a result you can modifiers that enable you to keeping your model still, you can
ODiffusers see the effect of a light as you diffuse and direct light. capture blurred trails.
adjust its power and position.
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
www.bit.ly/phb2video
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
light is constant there
will be no change in the
exposure when you
take a shot. Studio
strobes, Speedlights
and other such lights
1 Kit yourself out 2 Take a test force you to either
Don’t waste your time getting different bits of kit, as Start by turning on one light. Move the light around and
guess, or rely on an
you’re running the risk of incompatibility. If you want to see how it affects your subject. Take a test shot, then
external light meter
get started, Rotolight’s RL-48 Interview Kit (£175/$250) fit a diffuser to the light (keeping it in position), take
to take readings and
will provide you with the essentials. For our shoot, we another photo and compare the two, noting how soft or
adjust the settings on
used KinoFlo 4-bank continuous lights. harsh the shadows are and where they fall.
your camera.
NIKON SKILLS
3 Get the look 4 Keep it clean
To shoot our featured image, we used a ‘beauty light’ Constant lighting also takes out a lot of the guesswork
set-up. We took our key (main) light and positioned it out of knowing how your background will look. For our
above the model, pointing down. Next, we put a large shot we positioned our model against a clean white
reflector below the model’s face to bounce the light up background, as we felt this would suit the simple Quick tip
and lighten the shadows under her chin, nose and eyes. lighting, and shallow depth of field. If you want
NIKOPEDIA
to combine
continuous
lights with
daylight, make
sure you get
daylight-balanced
lights. Light is
measured using
the Kelvin (K)
scale. Daylight is
‘white’ and lies at
around 5500K, so
make sure your
lights are as near
ESSENTIAL KIT
to that as possible
5 Go wide 6 Stay balanced to prevent issues
To get our super-shallow depth of field, we attached a If you don’t have continuous lights, you can use with mixed
Nikon 85mm f/1.4 to our D750, and set an aperture of standard desk lamps, but just be aware that these won’t colour casts. Our
f/1.4 in aperture-priority mode. We then set a shutter be daylight balanced (see Quick Tip). Uncorrected, they KinoFlo lights
speed of 1/250 sec at ISO100, and adjusted to power of will give your portraits a warm, slightly orange cast. The were daylight
the light for a correct exposure. solution is to set your white balance to Incandescent. -balanced
OIntermediate
L
ight trail images are simple introduced into other images can quickly and easily create a
OAdvanced
to create in a outdoor or used as the sole focal point. superhero-style image.
Kit needed situation; simply put your This isn’t the only method of Using these basic techniques
ONikon SLR camera on a tripod near a innovating with light trails, as there are many more ways to
OFlashgun road at night, set it to a long they can be combined with other work light trails into landscape,
OChristmas lights shutter speed and wait for a car techniques to create some portrait and action images,
OBicycle wheel to drive past. impressive end results. For giving them a ‘wow’ factor that
OStunt peg Photographers have been example, you could mix them would be difficult to replicate in
OTape using this technique to develop with rear-curtain flash, which post-production but that’s
their own signature image, and fires the flash at the end of an simple to create in-camera .
Andrew Whyte came up with a exposure rather than in With a comparatively small
particularly innovative way to conjunction with the shutter outlay of cash and a little
use light trails. The light dome is release. This merges a standard patience there’s no end to what
made by attaching fairy lights to image with a light trail, so you you can achieve using light trails.
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
www.bit.ly/phb2video
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
1 Reinventing the wheel 3 Let there be lights 3 Pegged out
First of all you’ll need a small bike wheel. Next, you need battery-powered fairy lights. A stunt peg screws onto the wheel axle.
You won’t be damaging during the shoot, Mains-powered lights can work, but the They’re available from most good bike
so one borrowed from a working bike will be cable can get snagged when the wheel is stores, and can either be screwed directly
fine. Otherwise there are plenty of bicycle spun. Tape the lights to the rim of the wheel onto the axle or secured using a nut. The
workshops that accept donations which will and the battery unit to the spokes. The peg is then used as a pivot to spin the wheel
be worth contacting. wheel should spin freely. when it’s on the ground.
NIKON SKILLS
with colourful
lights, or arrange
them all at
one side of the
wheel for a very
different effect
NIKOPEDIA
1
ESSENTIAL KIT
6 Do look
down
To avoid any
unwanted light
sources from
becoming an issue
in your image, set
the tripod up at full
extension and shoot
down onto the
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Another setting worth taking control of, Switch the camera to timed release, which When you take the image, keep spinning
rather than letting the camera determine it will give you a countdown before taking the the wheel to maintain the momentum, only
for you, is the ISO sensitivity. If the camera shot. This gives you time to ask an assistant stopping once you’re sure the shot has been
is allowed to increase the ISO to combat to spin the wheel, or to do it yourself. You taken. Bear in mind that the time taken to
the lack of light this can create noise, which should only lightly touch the wheel to spin it, save the shot will be comparatively long, so
appears as red and green specks, so it’s and make sure you or your assistant aren’t you might need to wait a few seconds before
worth keeping the ISO at 200. in shot between spins. seeing your results.
SLR ADVICE
TAKE IT FURTHER / Capture a superhero on camera!
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
What is rear
curtain flash?
In Rear curtain mode
the flash is activated at
the end of the shot,
rather than being
triggered by the
shutter release. This
mode is used almost
exclusively for getting a
sharp image after
deliberately recording
motion blur using a
NIKON SKILLS
slow shutter speed.
This can be useful for
shooting a portrait at
night, or an action
image, when you don’t
want to remove the
creative effect of blur.
NIKOPEDIA
much trouble, as long as you add end of the shot, so as long as it’s of f/22. You’ll need to use the timed
a flashgun to the kit you’ve already quite dark, the flash will freeze any shutter again. Fire the shutter,
used for the light dome image. Frame movement. Switch your SLR to rear then stand next to your subject
a person with plenty of room to one curtain mode, which you can find by and create the light trail using your
side, as you’ll be occupying the space scrolling through the flash options battery-powered lights, then get out
around them with a light trail. (see note, top right). of the way before the flash fires!
www.bit.ly/phb2video
OOne hour
L
ight moves more slowly Here we’ll show you how to Commander mode, which
Skill level through water than it does create a tiny globe by positioning triggers the Speedlight using the
OBeginner
through the air. This causes a map behind a drop of water. To camera’s pop-up flash.
OIntermediate
the light rays to bend at the capture falling drops clearly A macro lens is essential to
OAdvanced
point where they move between you’ll need to shoot in a dark get in close enough to fill the
Kit needed the two media. The room using a Speedlight, so that frame, and you’ll also need a
ONikon SLR phenomenon is called the drops are frozen by the burst tripod to keep the camera still.
OSpeedlight refraction, and it offers lots of of light. Whenever a flash is used You’ll have to tweak the position
OMacro len opportunities for creative it’s a good idea to get it off the of the map and water, and you
OTripod projects. A drop of water, for camera and fire it remotely (see might need to shoot a few
example, will refract the light page 122). We’ve positioned the frames to get the timing right for
from the scene behind, turning it flash behind and to the side a perfect drop, but the results
upside-down and bending it. here, then used Nikon’s Flash are worth it!
A3). Set your camera on a tripod, and fix a but a wireless trigger or cable will work. Set aperture for deep depth of field, but you also
water dropper to a stand above the glass so the flash power low so it’s fast enough to want to use low flash power, so you’ll have to
the drops hit the same spot every time. freeze the the drop. We used 1/32 power. increase the ISO. We used f/16 and ISO 400.
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
Quick tip
When using
multiple flash
heads, take test
shots with each
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
light individually
to get an idea of
how they will all
work together
NIKON SKILLS
In a flash!
Your Speedlight’s flash
duration changes
based on its output.
For example, at full
power our SB-900 has
NIKOPEDIA
a flash duration of
about 1/880 sec. At its
lowest setting –
1/128th power – the
duration is an almost
instantaneous
1/38,500 sec. The
lower the power, the
shorter the duration.
For capturing
split-second action
you’ll need a dark
room. This way the
flash duration
ESSENTIAL KIT
effectively becomes
the length of the
exposure, as the
ambient light is
negligible, and
shouldn’t affect the
exposure.
www.bit.ly/phb2video
Skill level
OBeginner
T
OIntermediate he RGB histogram is one of which plots the brightness of The RGB histogram displays
OAdvanced the best-kept secrets on each pixel in a graph from the separate graphs for the three
your Nikon SLR. This deepest black on the left to the colours – Red, Green, and Blue.
Kit needed
display of multi-coloured brightest white on the right. This These are the primary colours
ONikon SLR
graphs may look a bit scientific, luminance histogram is fine for that your camera sees and
but it can be a godsend with most subjects, giving a useful measures, and the three colours
colourful subjects. way of assessing the range of that the trillions of different
Most photographers look at a tones, or contrast, that you have shades and hues your Nikon can
black-and-white histogram, in a scene. record are made up of.
1 How old is your Nikon? 2 Make a colourful display 3 Spot the difference
You don’t need a top-of-the-range Nikon To get the RGB display, go to the Playback All four graphs will often be similar because
to get a more detailed RGB histogram. Menu, then the Display Mode options, and most subjects are made up of a mixture
All recent Nikon SLRs from the D3000 check the RGB histogram option. Now when of colours. You may also see that the
upwards offer the option of displaying one. you review your pictures, use the up or down Luminance (white) graph is almost always
Essentially, that means any SLR launched in arrows to toggle through the display modes identical to the Green graph, because the
NIKOPEDIA
the last seven years has this facility. But you until you see the one that indicates the four standard histogram looks predominantly at
need to switch it on… coloured graphs. the green channel.
The graphs are often similar, so they can The RGB graph is most useful when To retain texture in the most saturated
reveal white balance issues. In the shot shooting vibrant colours. The normal parts of the picture, simply use exposure
on the left the preview looks too blue, and histogram here suggests the exposure is compensation or manual exposure controls
the peak is further to the right in the blue fine. But the RGB display shows a problem to reduce the overall brightness, and then
graph than the others. If the white balance is in the red channel; the graph is pushed too reshoot. The shot may need enhancement
corrected, the peaks in all four graphs are in far to the right. The reds are blown out, and in Photoshop later, but we have not lost that
the same place. we’re losing detail in the petals. all-important detail.
135
BEFORE
AFTER
www.bit.ly/phb2video
Skill level
OBeginner
W
OIntermediate hen you shoot capture more highlight and
OAdvanced landscapes where the shadow detail. However, it can
sky is much brighter be easy to over-cook the
Kit needed
than the foreground, adjustments available in HDR
ONikon SLR
OWide-angle or kit the level of contrast makes it software, producing garish,
lens impossible to keep detail in both unrealistic results.
OTripod areas. The traditional way to There is a simple alternative
OElements keep detail in both would be to technique that you can use for
use a graduated neutral density many scenes, which avoids
filter, but if you don’t have these many of the pitfalls of
there are alternative solutions. conventional HDR imaging. You
One way to capture detail in simply take at least two images,
all areas is to shoot three one exposed correctly for the
images, one exposed for the sky and another exposed
shadows, one for the mid-tones correctly for the foreground. You
NIKON SKILLS
and one for the highlights, and then combine them using a
combine them together in Layer Mask in Photoshop or
special software. This is known Elements, revealing the
as high dynamic range (HDR) correctly exposed parts of both
imaging, and it’s a great way to photographs.
Correcting
RAW files STEP BY STEP / Recapture the detail
NIKOPEDIA
there’s a danger of Even if you can use a fast shutter speed it’s best Using manual mode will give the most consistent
much more noise in to use a tripod, to make it easier to line up your results. Set the camera to manual focus and
the shadow areas and two images. It can be easy to move the camera choose an appropriate White Balance preset to
also artefacts in the between exposures, so make sure that all of the prevent any changes in focus or colour between
highlights from trying locks are secured, and the legs are positioned the exposures. You can shoot in either RAW or
to recover detail when on solid ground. Fire the camera with a remote JPEG, but if you choose RAW you need to process
using this method. release to minimise any chance of moving it. both files with similar settings.
137
Nikon Photographer’s Handbook
HDR PHOTOGRAPHY
SLR ADVICE
In-camera
HDR
Most Nikon cameras
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
offer an in-camera
HDR option to help
you when shooting
high contrast scenes. 3 Take two exposures 4 Two become one
You’ll find this in the First set the shutter speed and aperture to expose the Open your images in Elements, then click on the
Shooting Menu on the foreground correctly and shoot. Then, without changing foreground image. Pick Select>All from the top menu (or
camera, and offers the aperture, use a faster shutter speed to expose the press Ctrl+A). Then Edit>Copy (Ctrl+C) to copy the
different strengths of sky. Check the exposures on the histogram display to image to the clipboard. Now click on the sky image and
effect. But you can make sure that there is highlight detail in the sky go to Edit>Paste (Ctrl+V)to add the foreground image as
only use this when exposure and shadow detail in the foreground exposure. a layer above the background.
shooting JPEG
images, and like HDR
software, using the
higher strength
settings can produce
visible artefacts,
giving unnatural-
NIKON SKILLS
looking results.
OBeginner
T
aking your camera half-submerged in the water. tank is submerged in the water
OIntermediate
underwater can give you a There’s an element of chance to you’ll have to take plenty of
OAdvanced
completely new the results, but with a bit of photographs from slightly
Kit needed perspective on the practice and a little luck you’ll different positions because you
ONikon SLR landscape, but it would normally find that you can get results won’t be able to see the
ORemote release involve buying an expensive where you have a view both of viewfinder or screen to
OFish tank housing or waterproof camera. the landscape and what’s lying compose your shot unless you
This isn’t really a viable option if beneath the water. have a flip-out screen. Finally,
you just want to have a go at This technique works best remember to check (and double
shooting underwater images, so when you use a wide-angle lens. check!) that your camera is
here’s a low-cost, do-it-yourself You’ll also need to set the going to be safe once you get in
alternative that works. camera to manual to get the water, and make sure that
Putting your camera inside a consistent results. Once the you have a very firm grip on the
watertight fish tank and using camera is in the fish tank and the fish tank before you start.
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
www.bit.ly/phb2video
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
1 Prepare the tank 2 Set up your camera
Before you start, check that the tank is watertight. Switch to manual focus and manual exposure. Set a
Without putting the camera in it, submerge it so that the narrow aperture, such as f/11, to give plenty of depth
water reaches halfway up the sides. If this is successful, of field, and set the shutter speed to give the correct
dry the outside of the tank and make sure that the side exposure. Using a wide-angle lens, set the focus to
that you’re going to shoot through is clean. around three metres. Finally, attach a remote release.
Keep it still
NIKON SKILLS
This certainly isn’t a
technique for the
faint-hearted, so the
first time you use the
fish tank you’ll find it
easier to hold it steady
if you simply float it on
the top of the water,
rather than submerge
3 Final preparations 4 Go underwater it. You should also only
Now put the camera into the tank. Keep the lens as close Enter the water slowly. You don’t want to stir up mud try this out on still,
to the glass as possible to reduce the effect of reflections and dirt. Gently push the tank under the water until the calm water because
and marks on the glass. You may need to find something lens is half-covered. Take several shots, keeping the spray and waves can
to keep the camera in position. Make sure that you can tank level. If you get water drops on the glass you may easily enter the top of
easily reach the remote release while holding the tank. need to take it out of the water, clean it and start again. the tank.
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT / Shooting underwater
1 Waterproof 3 Underwater 4 Action camera
compact camera housing Many action cameras, such as
those in the GoPro Hero and
A waterproof compact camera These housings from firms such
Nikon KeyMission ranges,
such as one of those in the as Ikelite and Nauticam ensure
come with a waterproof housing.
Nikon AW range is a reasonably worry-free underwater shots.
These
affordable way of shooting Buy a model designed for your
cameras have
underwater images. The small camera. From £1000/$1500.
an extremely
diameter of their lenses can 2 Bag housing
ESSENTIAL KIT
wide-angle
make it tricky Flexible bag housings come
lens, which
to position the in a range of sizes. For a
can certainly
camera for camera such as the D7100
produce a
a half-under, with a standard zoom, try the
more striking
half-over water Ewa Marine U-A housing at
set of images.
shot, though. £200/$270.
OIntermediate
F
orget sports. If you want a to shoot Red Kites because they thermals – and so that as they
OAdvanced
real test in action can be found reliably if you go to dip you can frame them against
Kit needed photography, try getting a the right spot (see opposite) in fields or trees. To avoid these
ONikon D-SLR great shot of a bird in flight. the UK. But finding the birds is backgrounds becoming
OSupertelephoto lens Unlike at a stadium or race not enough, you also need a distracting you need to use your
circuit, you have to track down good vantage point to shoot lens wide open, minimising the
your feathered subject in the them from to see them in flight. depth of field. This is a bonus,
first place, then freeze its You want to avoid shots of the because you’ll need to use a fast
movements against a birds feeding on the ground, or shutter speed (we recommend
distracting background. against a bland, featureless using 1/2000 sec). But the
How close you can get will white cloudscape. To avoid a disadvantage of the narrow
depend on the species, but with silhouette, your best bet is to get band of depth of field is that your
almost all birds you’ll want to get up on a hill, so that you can shoot focusing will need to be even
the longest lens that you can these big birds as they ride the more accurate.
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
www.bit.ly/phb2video
STEP BY STEP / Stack the odds of success in your favour In search of the
Red Kite
The Red Kite is a British
conservation success
story. It was a common
scavenger in towns and
cities in Shakespearean
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
times, but had almost
disappeared from the UK
by the 1990s. Thanks to
successful reintroduction
programmes, it can be
found in significant
1 Location! Location! Location! 2 Big is best quantities if you head to
You may chance upon an owl flying over your head, but You need a long lens. Even though Red Kites have a
the right spot…
to maximise your chance of getting a good shot you five-foot wingspan they will be some way from you when
need to find a location where a species is seen regularly. they fly past. A lens with an effective focal length of
Gigrin Farm, Wales
Spend some time on Google researching locations, and 600mm (600mm on an FX model, or 400mm on a DX
Near Rhyader, this sheep
find out where other photographers have had success. SLR) is ideal. We used a Sigma 150-500mm.
farm feeds the kites at a
set time, so you are
guaranteed a good show
(www.gigrin.co.uk), and
there are hides available
NIKON SKILLS
to hire.
Chilterns, England
The best places are in the
villages where the M40
cuts through the
Chilterns
(www.chilternsaonb.org).
We went to Aston Rowant
National Nature Reserve.
3 The need for speed 4 Manual exposure with Auto ISO
The long lens and the fast subject means you need to Set the aperture and shutter speed in manual mode, Argaty, Scotland
use a fast shutter speed, however dull the day. A speed and then set the ISO to automatic. This means you Feeding station on the
of 1/2000 sec is the minimum. But similarly, to ensure get the precise settings you need even if the lighting Trossachs Bird of Prey
the background is as blurred as possible, you should changes, and the camera adjusts the sensitivity so you Trail (www.
use your lens wide open (that’s f/6.3 on our lens). don’t have to worry about under- or over-exposure. argatyredkites.co.uk).
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT
Nikopedia
Capturing gesture and expression 146
164
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
152
ESSENTIAL KIT
145
158
XXXXXXX
146
170
Renowned photographer and prolific author Michael hand we’re all very, very familiar with ordinary life
Freeman presents a monthly masterclass that’s exclusive to and tend to pass it over in favour of the different.
N-Photo magazine. Michael has published dozens of books on Almost without exception, people in front of
photography, including the bestselling Perfect Exposure and the camera become interesting and worthwhile
photographing when they move and express
Fifty Paths to Creative Photography.
themselves in particular ways. Flat expressions,
slumped postures and unexceptional movements
INTRODUCTION
just do not cut it in photography. This should come
as no surprise, because if you watch other people’s
and expression
When people are your subject, it’s worth trying to capture
you would need to wait for a gesture or expression
that lifts it above the ordinary. And if that doesn’t
happen, at some point you have to move on.
Perhaps the most important thing of all to
remember is that the moment you choose to capture
that expresses some character in the person you’re
the moments when they reveal something of themselves photographing is your interpretation, not necessarily
truthful or representative or fair. The great Richard
hen human beings become the main focus
W
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of a shot, the opportunities and the ideal light in his portraiture, said that it was so the subject
ESSENTIAL KIT
PRPHQWVWDNHDYHU\VSHFLÀFVKLIW:H·UH could move freely, “So that I can get to them, to the
dealing here with the most interesting expression they make, so that they are free to do or
class of subject for photography on the planet – express something which is the way I feel.” The point
potentially. There’s automatically a dual response of the last few words being, as he also wrote, “My
from viewers: on the one hand we’re all interested portraits are more about me than they are about the
in what other people might be up to, but on the other people I photograph.”
SLR ADVICE
BRINGING IMAGES TO LIFE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
a clue to the photographer, and the
viewer, about intention and character
NIKON SKILLS
Kolkata (left); the other, which is covered in ‘Getting
all emotional’ on page 151, is emotional.
,QDQ\VLWXDWLRQ\RX·UHOLNHO\WRÀQGRQHPRPHQWRI
a gesture more interesting
or visually attractive than
another. It can be because of
You don’t need to see elegance, or because it gives
the man in the street in a clearer view of what’s
his entirety – the two going on, and helps to
arms pointing at each
explain that. It can even
other do the job of
bringing action and be the opposite, puzzling
therefore interest to an onlooker who isn’t quite
this shot of the Kolkata sure what the context is. But
Commodities Exchange what all moments of gesture
have in common, and what
makes them desirable in a photo, is that they bring it
NIKOPEDIA
to life, and avoid the static.
In the old Commodities Exchange in Kolkata, with
trading conducted in a very old-fashioned way, there
was plenty of that. Indians generally use gestures in
a characteristic way, and the range of hand gestures
on display was wide and full of character. And here,
in a trading situation, hands and arms were moving
around even more than usual.
I chose a tight framing, and looked for several
gestures happening in one frame, and in particular
an occasion when one of the traders in the blue boxes
was obviously dealing with someone standing on the
ground. I was spoilt for choice, as the illustration of
arm-and-hand gestures shows.
In the end, the best moment for me came when an
ESSENTIAL KIT
What’s in
a look?
Faces have massive visual weight
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
T SHRSOHSKRWRJUDSK\KDSSHQVLQWKHIDFH:H
place a great deal of store in facial expression,
especially in what we believe other people
are thinking and feeling. Most people take an
unreasonable amount of pride in their ability to
judge people from their expression, and photography
buys into this idea. How often have you heard the
expression that the eyes ‘are the mirror of the soul’.
It sounds clever and thoughtful, but really? This
NIKON SKILLS
moment for expression gets stretched out over time, up. Behind the thick spectacles – probably because of The intensity of the
and that really does change the decisions about what them – he looked at me in an eyes-wide-open, almost boy’s expression when
will make the best moment. At the time the obvious startled way: an expression which struck me as more he looks up makes it
choice seemed to be the boy reading, concentrating interesting than any of the other moments. clear which shot is best
repetitive the hammer struck the end of the chisel, which I was able
to isolate using selective focusing. A refinement of camera
ESSENTIAL KIT
action position meant that I could get the end of the chisel and the
sculptor’s glasses in the same plane of focus (final image).
The questions to ask yourself are: which moment gives
the viewer the most information? Which is the clearest
visually? Which moment has the most energy? Which
is the most interesting or unusual?
SLR ADVICE
EYE CONTACT
Here’s looking
at you, kid
Street photographers normally try to
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
avoid their subjects gazing into the lens,
but depending on the quality of the look,
eye contact can strengthen an image
NIKON SKILLS
hile it’s almost a given that in portraiture
NIKOPEDIA
confidence, can make
the image more
you’ve been spotted you
powerful than if life had regretfully move on. But
been going on without it’s not always a mark
you being noticed of failure, and it depends
very much on the look on
your subject’s face, and its intensity.
Both of the images here share a direct look that is
neither challenging, nor quite accepting, and in both
cases I judged them better than the previous frames,
before the men looked. In the case of the man in
The final shot, with two
‘runners-up’ at the far yellow, who was selling tobacco in a market in South
left for comparison, Sudan, I had intended to shoot quickly and candidly,
focuses attention on but he glanced up. Ordinarily I would have smiled
both the spurt of dust, and given up at that point, but his steady gaze held
and on the spectacles me, and I took my time and photographed.
ESSENTIAL KIT
INTENSE INTERACTIONS
Pairing
NIKON SKILLS
people off
When it comes to choosing the right moment to
capture expression, intensity always works
SLR ADVICE
DRAMATIC GESTURES
Getting all
emotional
Strong gestures draw attention and
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
alter the balance of a composition
NIKON SKILLS
continue walking) changed the focus of attention,
and the balance of the image. The comparison shot
above it, the only other one taken, makes the point:
while the sunlight on the couple highlights them
to an extent, without the gesture and expression
(reinforced by the woman gazing upward), they
really only function as a balancing element for
A sudden burst of the sunlit Town Hall in the background.
emotion in this street A tighter framing on the couple at this moment,
scene in Aix-en- using a zoom, would have resulted in a very different
Provence, France,
transforms the way
image. As I was using a 20mm prime, however, that
the image works, even wasn’t an option, and the resulting image is arguably
though the two images stronger, because the little human drama is being
have near-identical played out in a wider context, which provides a
composition nice contrast between setting and couple.
W
GUDPDWLFODQGVFDSHVLVWKDWWKH¶SHUIHFW·YLHZSRLQWV
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ORYHDQGHYHQODQGVFDSHVSHFLDOLVWVÀQG $QJNRU:DW'HOLFDWH$UFK&KLQD·V<XDQ\DQJ5LFH
themselves drawn every so often into the 7HUUDFHVRU\RXQDPHLWDUHFURZGHGDQGHYHU\RQH
FORVHIRFXVHGZRUOGVWKDWVLWZLWKLQWKHLUH[SDQVLYH HQGVXSZLWKWKHVDPHLPDJH'LJJLQJDURXQGIRU
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
SYMBOLIC LINKS
Iconic detail
Some details have, over time,
acquired a history that makes them
symbolic of bigger things or ideas
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
s already mentioned, details of things can stand
A LQIRUDPXFKELJJHUVXEMHFWDQGWKDWGRHVQ·W
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quintessential symbol of something.
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LFRQLFWKDQDZKLWHSLFNHWIHQFH",W·VWKHV\PERORI
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DQGEHFDXVHRIWKDWLWKDVDULFKYLVXDOKLVWRU\,Q
particular, it has a photographic history, beginning
ZLWK3DXO6WUDQGLQZKHQKHVKRWWKHQRZ
famous image White Fence. This not only became
an iconic image within photography, it made an icon
RIWKHIHQFH,WHYHQPHULWVDQHQWU\LQ*HRII'\HU·V
NIKON SKILLS
WKRXJKWSURYRNLQJDQGZLGHO\DGPLUHGERRNThe
Ongoing MomentZKHUHKHTXRWHV6WUDQGRQKLV
motivation for shooting it, which was how “very,
YHU\$PHULFDQµLWLV´<RXZRXOGQ·WÀQGDIHQFHOLNH
that in Mexico or Europe” he added.
7KDWVLQJOHLPDJHPDGHLWDSRSXODUVXEMHFWHYHU
DIWHU:(XJHQH6PLWKXVHGLWWRPDNHDSRLQWLQ
his famous photo essay for LifePDJD]LQH¶&RXQWU\
'RFWRU·LQWRVHWWKHVPDOOWRZQFRQWH[WLQ
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LURQLFVFHQHVHWWHULQWKHÀOPBlue Velvet,W·VWKHNLQG
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again, reinforcing its iconic status each time they
shoot. This familiarity brings with it the risk of it
EHFRPLQJDFOLFKpVRLI\RX·UHJRLQJGRZQWKHLFRQLF
GHWDLOURXWHWU\WRÀQGDGLIIHUHQWYLVXDOWUHDWPHQW
NIKOPEDIA
There are two contrasting optical styles in This approach is
close-up, both valid but calling for different very popular in food
Borlotti bean,
Selective or shooting techniques. One is selective focus,
with just a sliver of the subject sharp and the
rest blurred out. Shallow depth of field is an
photography because
it gives the viewer a
stronger sense of
Nikon 105mm
macro lens, f/16
multi-frame focus
and having a naturally prominent used focus stacking with Helicon Focus
part of the scene in focus, as in software, first shooting 33 frames at f/16,
this image of Thai crabs (left). moving the focus ring fractionally between
each frame. Because we associate deep
Thai crabs, Zeiss focus with larger-scale scenes, this makes
85mm lens, f/1.4 the bean look much bigger than it really is.
153
CAPTURING DETAIL
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
NIKON SKILLS
GRAPHIC DESIGN
GLYRUFLQJREMHFWVIURPWKHLUFRQWH[WDQGWKLV
offers a wonderful opportunity to look afresh
DWREMHFWVWKDWZRXOGQ·WQRUPDOO\EHFRQVLGHUHG
Divorced from any context, detail can be ,QWKH$PHULFDQ
independently graphic or colourful if you ,UYLQJ3HQQRQHRIWKH
explore its purely visual possibilities most highly regarded
VWLOOOLIHSKRWRJUDSKHUV A sample of oil-polluted
of his generation, made seawater at a research
a series of exquisite and laboratory, complete with
P
DUWRIWKHHWKRVRIFORVHXSSKRWRJUDSK\LV
baby shrimps, becomes
to direct attention onto something which we beautifully crafted images graphic with studio
PLJKWRUGLQDULO\PLVV7KHVH¶KLGGHQ·GHWDLOV ²DVSODWLQXPSULQWV²RI backlighting
can sometimes surprise with their beauty and cigarette butts collected
unexpectedness. The only reason we missed seeing IURPWKHVWUHHWV6SHQWFLJDUHWWHVDUHQRWQRUPDOO\
WKHPLQWKHÀUVWSODFHZDVEHFDXVHWKH\IHOOXQGHU FRQVLGHUHGSOHDVDQWVXEMHFWPDWHULDODQGQHLWKHULV
WKHWKUHVKROGRIRXUQRUPDOVFDOHRIYLHZ,QWKHFDVH RLOSROOXWHGVHDZDWHUWKHVXEMHFWRIWKHRWKHULPDJH
ESSENTIAL KIT
of the polished abalone shell above, you can see the here, taken at a research lab in New England. The
potential for playing with the shifting iridescent essence of images like these is that as a photographer
FRORXUHYHQDWÀUVWJODQFHEXWFORVLQJLQDQGWDNLQJ you are saying to the viewer, ‘please look at this
meticulous care of framing, focus and lighting takes ZLWKRXWDQ\SUHFRQFHSWLRQV·,W·VDKXPDQWUDLWWR
WKHFRORXUVWRDQRWKHUOHYHORILPDJHU\²DQGWRWDOO\ ORRNIRUEHDXW\DQGÀQGLQJLWLQDQXQH[SHFWHG
removes any understanding of scale and meaning. detail gives extra visual pleasure.
SLR ADVICE
Collecting detail
By its very nature, detail lends itself to
capturing sets of images. For one thing, it’s
extremely easy to choose a theme or a type
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
of subject to shoot, as there are so many
options. The scale is also manageable: you
can generally choose your viewpoint and
distance, and even move subjects into better
light – or at least shade them if they’re in
inconveniently harsh light, or reflect extra
light in with a white card, foil or mirror.
Here’s an example: a selection of shots
from a set of images of royal insignia, found
on a variety of objects from a postage stamp
to a saddle blanket. When collecting images
of themed subjects like this, it’s relatively
easy to scale them up or down so they fill
the frame simply by varying the viewpoint.
NIKON SKILLS
The polished shell of an
abalone, cropped in tightly to
make it a pure play of iridescent
colour, of indeterminate scale.
This scene in reality measures
just six centimetres across
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT
Documentary
detail
Content rules when you close in on
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
GHWDLOLVWKHEXOOHWKROHV1RWZKDW\RX·GH[SHFW
in an archaeological site, they provide mute
testimony to the civil war, and the damage
GRQHE\WKH.KPHU5RXJH7KHGHWDLORID
%ULWLVK/HH(QÀHOGULÁHLVVWUDLJKWIRUZDUGDV
photography, and may take longer to work out.
7KHNH\LVWKHOHWWHULQJ*5,ZKLFKVWDQGVIRU
*HRUJH5H[,PSHUDWRU²DVXUHVLJQWKDWLW
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,W·VDIDNH²RUUDWKHUDUHSOLFD²PDGHLQWKH A copy of a British .303 rifle A bullet-ridden devata (deity)
',<JXQPDQXIDFWXULQJWRZQRI'DUUDLQ made in Pakistan, perfect in carved on the walls of Angkor
QRUWKHUQ3DNLVWDQ every detail except the date Wat, Cambodia
NIKOPEDIA
Capturing details of small things means entering the world of My reason for doing this is that I like the wide-open optical
close-up photography, and for this the key is close-focusing. quality of a Zeiss Nikon-fit 85mm f/1.4 for selective-focus
Close-up kit Nikon’s AF-S 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED VR Micro is the lens of
choice when you want to get down to life-size, aka 1:1, which
basically means that a subject the size of your sensor will fill
details (see ‘Selective or deep focus?’, page 153), but on its
own the closest it will focus is 90cm. With a PK-11 extension
tube it will focus at 50cm.
the frame. A 10 pence piece and a US quarter, for example, In practice, for the sort of scale that most of us encounter
are both around 24mm wide, so will fill a full-frame sensor in found objects, capturing images life-size is sufficient. Any
almost exactly at the closest focusing distance of a 1:1 lens. smaller than the Nikon’s capability takes us into the extreme
There’s another way to get close up, which I often use, macro realm, and for that you’ll need an extension bellows
and that’s to use an old-style lens with an extension ring. like the PB-6 – but that’s for another article.
The Nikon AF-S 105mm MAGNIFICATION WITH EXTENSION RINGS (x1 is life-size)
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
PERSONAL DETAILS
Body parts
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$QGZKDWDERXWWKH\HOORZRXWRIEOXH1D·YLH\H
IURPWKHSRVWHUIRU-DPHV&DPHURQ·VAvatar?
%HORZ,·PGRLQJKDQGVZKLFKIURPWKHDUWLFOHRQ
Details of the human body always &DSWXULQJ*HVWXUHDQG([SUHVVLRQSDJHZH
know are among the most expressive parts of the
fascinate, the more so because the human body. Not only that, but we generally reckon
viewer is invited to imagine the whole that we can tell much about a person from the way
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
the hands are shaped, wrinkled, pampered or worn.
person from just one part 7KHUH·VDORWRIPLOHDJHKHUHIRUVKRRWLQJDVKDUGO\
DQ\RQHREMHFWVWRKDYLQJWKHLUKDQGVSKRWRJUDSKHG
DQGWKHSRVVLEOHYDULHW\LVLPPHQVH3KRWRJUDSKHU
O
QHRIWKHHDVLHVWWRÀQG\HWULFKHVWVRXUFHVRI %DVLO3DRFUHDWHGDQHQWLUHSDJHERRNRQWKH
photographable detail is the human body. Even VXEMHFWLQZKLFK0LFKDHO3DOLQZURWH´2EVHVVHG
ZLWKRXWJHWWLQJUXGHWKDW·VDQRWKHUDUHDRI with how our faces look, we overlook the delicacy
VKRRWLQJDQGRQHWKDWZHSUREDEO\ZRQ·WEH and subtlety of our hands… Hands, often taken for
GHDOLQJZLWKLQWKLVVHULHVWKHUHDUHVHYHUDOVSHFLÀF granted, can be as versatile and expressive as faces.”
ELWVWKDWFDQEHLQWULJXLQJDQGSKRWRJHQLF&KLHI The two obvious things to concentrate on when Hands can be expressive
DPRQJWKHPDUHKDQGVOLSVH\HVÀQJHUVDQGQDLOV shooting hands are the surface texture and gestures. even at rest, as in this
image of two Pathan
DQG,VXSSRVHWKHJURZLQJSRSXODULW\RIWDWWRRV The lighting is important for texture, and hands tend
tribesmen taking a
PDNHVWKHPDZRUWK\GHWDLODOVR)RUOLSVMXVWWKLQN WRZRUNEHVWLQVRIWGLIIXVHGOLJKW²PHDQLQJVKDGH siesta in the heat of
RI(UZLQ%OXPHQIHOG·VVogueFRYHUDQG,UYLQJ UDWKHUWKDQEULJKWVXQOLJKW*HVWXUHGRHVQ·WKDYH a summer afternoon
3HQQ·V¶%HH6WXQJ/LSV·ZKLFKOLWHUDOO\IHDWXUHVDEHH WREHDFWLYH²LQUHSRVHKDQGVFDQDVVXPHDZLGH on Pakistan’s
RQDSOXPSOLSVWLFNHGKDOIRSHQPRXWK)RUH\HV YDULHW\RIDWWLWXGHV%HORZWKH\·UHVRIWO\UHOD[HG Northwest Frontier
NIKON SKILLS
NIKOPEDIA
ESSENTIAL KIT
Capturing scale
of scale. This Buddha in
person. In other words, Sukhothai is viewed from
scale in a photograph is all an unusual overhead
about the clues we take position, and the lines
from the setting and from converge to reveal the
what we’re familiar with. extremely small figure
There are lots of techniques for conveying a sense of scale So far, so obvious. But we of a praying man below
in your images, or for manipulating scale to add interest can mess around with the
NIKOPEDIA
accuracy – except for the third dimension. Much of will spend longer looking and thinking.
the time we don’t think of this as an issue, because as Of course, not all images are concerned with scale,
viewers we’re thoroughly used to taking clues from and often it takes a back seat to other matters, such
the scene inside the frame to work out how large as moment, light and gesture. But when the size of
one object is in relation to another. In a portrait of the subject is unusual, or plays a role in an image,
someone standing some distance in front of a house, these techniques can be used to convey that.
SLR ADVICE
A LESSON FROM ART
Figures in a
landscape
A demonstration of scale
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
can put man in his place
aken in the mountains of Anhui
NIKON SKILLS
arrangement had all the makings of
a typical Chinese ‘mountain water’
brush-and-ink scroll painting. There’s
a particular form to these, involving
graphics that are intended to lead the
eye upward; vertical stacking so that
more distant upper levels appear to sit
on top of the lower ones; and tiny
ÀJXUHV7KDWODVWELWLVLPSRUWDQW
It comes from Daoism, and the idea is
that man is subordinate to, yet at one
ZLWKQDWXUH²SHUIHFWIRUDÀJXUHVLQ
a-landscape approach.
Waiting for the people took a lot
longer than coming up with an idea,
as cellphones didn’t work here, so
NIKOPEDIA
someone had to climb much higher to
ÀQGRXWZKHQWKHSLFNHUVLQWKDWXSSHU
tea garden would be returning.
Everything in the shooting – the
timing and framing – and later in the
processing and cropping, was directed
towards creating the effect of a
‘mountain water’
painting. That
included a vertical
crop, and processing Chinese
brush-and-ink
in black and white – masters created
taking care with the sophisticated
local adjustments to arrangements
lighten and soften of towering
ESSENTIAL KIT
horizontally; or stepping back with a telephoto lens; challenge to the photographer wanting to get across
or, best of all, using a specialist lens like the Nikon the Buddha’s sheer size.
24mm f/3.5D PC-E, or ‘Perspective Control’, lens. 7KHYLHZIURPWKHÁRRUZKHUHYLVLWRUVDUH
These days, though, correcting converging verticals supposed to kneel in any case) is certainly more
can be handled in seconds in image-editing impressive than from a standing position or one of
programs like Photoshop. the elevated platforms.
Shallow
focusing
and scale
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
We associate shallow focus with small objects seen from This cup of
green tea in
close-up, and we can use this to our advantage China looks
small, thanks
to the shallow
might want to limit
D
HSWKRIÀHOGEULQJVLWVRZQVHQVH depth of field
of what scale we think we’re GHSWKRIÀHOGWKH
looking at. This seems to suggestion of green This image of
have nothing do with the leaves hanging over a rabbit’s skull,
technicalities of aperture, distance water beyond has its minus its jaw, is
sharp from front
DQGGHSWKRIÀHOGZKLFKTXLWHRIWHQ own appeal), but
to back, making
cause grief when we try to calculate opening up the its size hard
them. It comes from our exposure to 70mm lens to f/2.8 to gauge
many images in which sharp focus is has kept the scale and
either limited or extended, and we setting intimate.
hardly think about it. In the image of By contrast, for the still-life of
NIKON SKILLS
the tea cup on the right, for example, WKHVNXOODERYHGHSWKRIÀHOGZDV
the simple fact that most of the image deliberately kept full enough to keep
is blurred makes us think we’re the whole thing in focus. As a result,
looking at a very small object. That it comes as a surprise to learn that it’s
may not be the only reason why you barely an inch in length.
Size by comparison
big as possible
NIKOPEDIA
his is a simple, and often necessary technique, by
7KHRWKHUPXFKURXJKHUÀQJHUVDOVRKHOSWRFRQYH\
a sense of scale, but in the opposite way: whereas the
PRGHO·VÀQJHUQDLOVKHOSWKHYLHZHUDSSUHFLDWHKRZELJ
A newly-born field WKHSHDUOLVWKHÀQJHUQDLOVLQWKHLPDJHRQWKHULJKWRI
rat, made to look someone in the southern state of Tamil Nadu holding a
small and vulnerable QHZERUQÀHOGUDWVKRZKRZWLQ\DQGGHIHQFHOHVVLWLV
TOWERING LANDSCAPES
The power of
compression
The distance-stacking effect of a long
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Strictly speaking, no calculation can put a number on what is metres away to also fill the frame. Switch to a 200mm lens,
ultimately just a matter of perception and sensation, but the and you would have to walk back to twice the distance for
compressing, towering-over effect that you get from putting the building to stay filling the frame. There’s no surprise
perspective although there are several variables there are two constants:
the high-rise building fills the frame, and the man stays put.
When we’re shooting with a 100mm lens 400 metres
smaller. And with a 400mm lens the towering effect is even
more extreme. We’re now 1600 metres from the building and
about 1200 metres from the man, so he appears tiny, while
400mm lens
The building is 150 Doubling the focal Doubling the focal
metres tall, the man length of the lens length and doubling
two metres. For this means that we have the distance
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
20mm
Massed flamingoes in the
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania,
photographed at three focal lengths:
20mm, 180mm and 400mm
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Fountain pen
shot using
focus-stacking
to maximise
depth of field
(processed
image below)
180mm 400mm
NIKON SKILLS
things look big
I’ve shown this focus stacking method
before in N-Photo, and the software
NUMBERS GAME I use is Helicon Focus, but here it’s for a
different purpose, which is to deliberately
filling the frame its size, here I’ve taken a familiar object, a
fountain pen, and given it ‘impossible’
depth of field. Stopping down to a modest
f/11 to avoid the overall loss of definition
There are two different techniques you can use to that comes from very small apertures like
give a sense of scale to large numbers of subjects f/22, I rotated the focus ring fractionally
NIKOPEDIA
between exposures. With the deliberately
deep arrangement of pen and notebook it
cale in photography doesn’t reproduced large, although the birds
S
took 99 frames to cover it front to back.
always work in predictable ways, themselves are hard to distinguish. The software did the rest, and the final
particularly when it comes the The next lens up is a 180mm f/2.8, impression is of a strangely oversized
way in which you frame a shot. and the strength of this shot lies in the pen, as if in a Shrinking Man movie.
,QWKHVHH[DPSOHVRIWKHIDPRXVÁRFNV near-abstract distant hillside. We see
RIÁDPLQJRHVLQWKH1JRURQJRUR&UDWHU the huge number of birds, the way they
in Tanzania, the viewpoint stayed the recede into the distance, and also get an
same but the focal length was changed idea of the setting.
²DQGVLJQLÀFDQWO\WKHIUDPLQJ The third shot, taken with a 400mm
There are many thousands of birds lens and deliberately framed to exclude
in essentially a single mass, and that any setting, also works but in a different
impression of extraordinary numbers ZD\+HUHWKHZHOONQRZQ¶ÀHOG·HIIHFW
ZDVGHÀQLWHO\ZRUWKWU\LQJWRJHW plays a role: because the mass of
ESSENTIAL KIT
that take real skill to capture in a two-dimensional image usually work, depending on the actual form
that a subject takes.
Above all, conveying form is about taking
a straightforward and realistic approach to
photography. In other articles I’ve stressed how
important it can be to surprise and challenge your
audience’s preconceptions and ways of seeing, and
it’s true that the most striking photography tends to
have a strong component of the unusual, or of being
a bit different from the
run of the mill.
orm is a quality of things that we generally take Here, however, we’re
SHINE A LIGHT
Directional lighting
This classic lighting solution has been used
for centuries to reveal volume and shape
NIKOPEDIA
or almost any subject that has the head was lit by a studio light, but
head of Buddha,
National Museum, shaded side, as source and subject is critical in this
Bangkok. A soft box with this stone kind of shot. The area light is strongly
twice the size of the
Buddha head directional (and you can choose which
head (camera right
and slightly behind) in Thailand’s direction it comes from within about
gives a strong National Museum 90 degrees) and yet the all-important
sense of form (left). In this case shadow edge is soft and smooth.
165
NIKOPEDIA
SCOOP IT UP
IMPORTANT ELEMENT
OF GRAPHIC ART gives the illusion of depth
ountershading is a technique from You simply take a
1 FORM
This is the three-
dimensionality of a subject.
It is especially important in
arts such as photography or
C painting and illustration that applies
perfectly well to photography, and it’s
QRWDOOWKDWGLIÀFXOWWRHPXODWHLQWKH
studio. The principle is simple: make the
shading of the background from light to dark
sheet of plain white
ÁH[LEOHPDWHULDOLQ A Victorian Christmas
this case Formica),
surface next to a
card in very shallow relief
DQGSODFHLWRQDÁDW is given depth with an
overhead area light and a
white Formica scoop, so
painting, as it can be used to go in the opposite direction to the shading on wall or support so that the shading on the
convey a sense of depth. the subject in the foreground. that it curves into background runs counter
Dutch Renaissance painters such as a so-called ‘scoop’ to that on the card
SHAPE Vermeer often used this to create a sense behind the subject.
2 This is the outline of a
subject, most easily seen in
of depth in their work, because it increases
contrast in a natural-looking way, so that the
You then position
an area light (such as a large softbox)
a silhouette. It’s established brighter part of the subject, like a face or a overhead, pointing down. This lights the
by the contrast between the ÀJXUHVWDQGVRXWDJDLQVWWKHGDUNHUSDUW subject from top to bottom so that any
subject and its background. of the background behind. shadows are underneath, but importantly it
NIKON SKILLS
One classic and very basic still-life lights the scoop from bottom to top, so that
LINE technique does this almost automatically, the darkest shadows are at the top.
3 Lines are illusions in
photographs, whereas
and the example above right – of an almost
ÁDWSLHFHRIFXWRXWFDUGDJDLQVWDGDUNHU
This creates an illusion of depth because
the shading on the subject and the
in drawing they are basic background – illustrates the idea very well. background go in opposite directions.
starting points. In real life,
most subjects have thickness
– even something like a
railway line in the distance.
TONE
4 Also known as Value, this
is the range of brightness,
from white to black. In colour
photography, it can be hard to
separate from colour.
NIKOPEDIA
SPACE
5 The arrangement of
foreground and background,
subject and setting, is about
the distribution of space.
TEXTURE
6 Think of a subject as first
having form, then this being
covered with a surface that
has texture.
COLOUR
7 Colour is a study in itself,
ESSENTIAL KIT
166
NIKOPEDIA
SLR ADVICE
FIND THE ANGLE
The importance
of viewpoint
Camera position and angle can
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
give presence to a subject,
and clearly reveal its form
f you can walk around a structure or turn
NIKON SKILLS
will make it easiest for the viewer to understand camera low so that we’re looking slightly upward; positioned relative to
the camera with care to
exactly what the subject is. Some basic training in back lighting from above reveals lustre and sparkle; reveal its inherent qualities
the discipline of still-life photography comes in and turning it to this three-quarter angle makes of volume and shape
useful here, because it teaches you to consider more of the way it was made – its form, in other
different viewpoints. words – than any other possible angle.
NIKOPEDIA
E
YHU\WKLQJKDVIRUPHYHQWKRXJKVROLGREMHFWVDUHZKDWÀUVWFRPHWRPLQG
ZKHQ\RXVWDUWWKLQNLQJDERXWLW:DWHU²LQIDFWDQ\ÁXLG²SRVHVDQHYHQ
more interesting problem than a solid object, because it changes constantly,
and in a fraction of a second can shift form completely. Water photography
is almost a genre in its own right, and you can treat it in any number of ways,
whether you’re dealing with a waterfall, waves or rapids.
Currently popular, and on the verge of becoming a cliché, is the water-as-fog
DSSURDFKXVLQJKLJKRSDFLW\1'ÀOWHUVDQGDORQJH[SRVXUHEXWWKLVDLPVWR
make water formless and change it into something else completely. Going in
the opposite direction, and using a fast shutter speed to freeze any movement,
can help to solidify water, and give it even more form than you would experience
from just watching waves crashing on a beach.
These big waves on the island of La Réunion in the
Indian Ocean (left) have all the volume anyone could
ESSENTIAL KIT
167
CAPTURING FORM
SLR ADVICE
MAKE IT CLEAR
GHÀQHWKHHGJHVRIWKHJODVV
This black-card technique, which is a kind of
negative lighting, is part of the standard still-life
repertoire and has several
variations depending on the
shape of the transparent object.
Upright black cards Here, straight black card is
placed to the left and suitable for the straight sides of
right of this cocktail
glass, just out of
the glass, but for a curved glass
frame, are the key shape you might try bending the
to defining the card or black paper to conform to
edges of the glass the curve.
NIKOPEDIA
The ideal has its place, of course, but it runs the risk
of being predictable, and doing what’s expected isn’t
always in the best interests of eye-catching or thought-
provoking photography.
As ever, the viewer’s eye can do a lot of the work, and
audiences on the whole actually like having to put a bit
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Study
the Masters
Conveying the form of a
rounded, three-dimensional
object in two dimensions is an
age-old problem in art that
predates photography.
To be more precise, it’s a
problem of representational
art, which is perhaps closest to
photography in trying to convey
a real sense of how things look
and are (abstract, expressionist
NIKON SKILLS
and conceptual art have
different agendas, so they are
out of the equation, as are their
photographic equivalents).
So, even though painters
have the advantage that they
can create images and lighting
in any way they please, the
great representational painters
worked hard to be accurate,
and took their time. You could
do a lot worse than look at
paintings by the masters
listed below in order to see
the techniques they used to
give their subjects a sense of
NIKOPEDIA
volume and depth:
of work into scrutinising an image.
Sometimes, simply providing the right clues GIOTTO: 14th century genius
can do the job of explaining what an object who broke with tradition and
is, and conveying its volume, weight and basically invented modelling
presence. Here’s one example (above), with light and shade.
although as with all images that stray
off the expected path, you may or may JAN VAN EYCK: master of
not personally like it. realism, perfection and soft
This shot was taken in an Iban longhouse, natural light indoors.
on the Rajah River in Borneo. Late one
afternoon one of the men who had been REMBRANDT: used large dark
ZRUNLQJLQWKHÀHOGVLQWKHVXUURXQGLQJ shadow areas to heighten the
forest came back, dead tired, and simply contrast with lit areas. Later
lay down to rest. in his career he also used thick
ESSENTIAL KIT
From where I was sitting, I liked the visual puzzle paint to convey texture, and
Iban man asleep in a longhouse, Borneo.
created by the light from a nearby window, and the enhance the sense of volume.
The chiaroscuro effect of the strong light
resulting shadows. Looking at the image, it takes a and deep shadows initially confuses the
moment to work out what’s going on, but once the eye, but once the subject becomes VERMEER: followed in van
eye has understood the basics, it seems to me that recognisable, it gives the scene a Eyck’s footsteps at the height
the volume and all of that fall into place. real sense of depth and form of the Dutch Golden Age.
Capturing texture
unlit shop just grazes the
WRUHÀQHDQGHQKDQFHZKDW cheek of this man,
is essentially the visual bringing out the texture
translation of touch. of his skin and beard
Texture is above all
tactile, and so it’s no
When the quality of a surface is important to a shot, use
NIKOPEDIA
If it helps, think of it as the difference between bringing scenes to life, and one of the key reasons
WDNLQJDÀUPKROGRIVRPHWKLQJDQGUHDFKLQJRXW why the golden hour is so popular among landscape
to touch it. Which gives you a better sense of what photographers is that the low angle of the sun starts
something is, whether it’s river-smoothed stone, a to reveal tactile qualities in the land, from rocks to
rough-skinned pineapple or a leather handbag? This grass, which can give the viewer a sense of what it
is up for debate, but photography generally conveys was like to be there.
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
NIKON SKILLS
Late afternoon light at Persepolis reveals The texture of this
every last detail in a bas-relief, while sunrise pressed cake of tea
does a similar job on the intricate facade of the leaves needed an almost
Bank of England in London horizontal beam from a
focusing spot (Dedolite)
in this studio shot
A LIGHT TOUCH
If you’ve ever tried searching for something Above are three examples of different
WLQ\GURSSHGRQWKHÁRRUE\VKLQLQJDWRUFK textures at different scales, from a building
horizontally, you’ll appreciate why it works. facade to a close-up of a compressed cake of
Ultimately, it’s the play of light and shadow tea. What they have in common is that they’re With landscapes, as the sun sets the shadows
that helps to convey texture, and while raking all lit by a single raking light source that helps of large objects lengthen, while smaller-scale
light is something of a cliché, it really works. to reveal texture and detail. textures become more defined
Lighting
smooth
surfaces
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
T suggests some
roughening of the
surface; something for
A waxed table after
a heavy rain shower.
WKHÀQJHUWLSVWRDFWXDOO\IHHO The maple leaf stuck to
At the smooth end of the scale its glistening surface
the sensation is more subtle, helps to exaggerate
the feeling of wetness
but even a shiny surface has
a texture. And wetness, too,
is a variety of texture. the sky, but controlled in the sense that we’re in a
NIKON SKILLS
In the case of very smooth surfaces, the low light garden enclosed by high walls, so that the sky
from a sharp source of light won’t do much, because appears as more like a skylight.
VKLQ\VXUIDFHVKDYHWRUHÁHFWVRPHWKLQJ&RQWUROOLQJ The next essential ingredient is angle: that of the
WKDWUHÁHFWLRQLVWKHNH\WROLJKWLQJVPRRWKVXEMHFWV camera to the surface and the surface to the light.
and – in the case of liquids – to getting across the Camera, light and subject need to be aligned so
sensation of wetness. The solution is to use a light that the surface catches the light. In a studio, the
source that’s broad and even – and broader than the equivalent is a large softbox; the larger the subject,
thing you’re shooting. In this example, the source is the larger (or closer) the softbox needs to be.
A textural lighting table As we’ve discussed, capturing texture in photographs isn’t simply as matter of
finding an interesting texture and shooting it. It’s the wide and subtle variety of
the way surfaces look and feel that makes it such a rich area to explore. Here’s
BRING OUT THE TEXTURE OF ANY SUBJECT a very basic guide to the kind of lighting that might work best for each...
NIKOPEDIA
Sandstone, bas-relief, Pebble beach Silk, animal pelt Leather, plastic, skin, Glass, water, polished
EXAMPLE
building facade polished stone metal
LIGHT Low-angle point source Medium-angle slightly Broad source above, Broad source high Broad, shaped and even
REQUIRED diffuse source in front or to the side source, behind or 3/4
PHOTO
EXAMPLE
ESSENTIAL KIT
LIGHTING
DIAGRAM
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
NIKON SKILLS
his type of lighting is
T
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAIL
naturally attractive and
naturally popular for From a distance, rice
NIKOPEDIA
As with the other, smaller- distinct shadows
up any landscape, but there are risks scale raking-light situations,
it depends not just on the sun
being low, but also on really clear air. As the sun
gets lower, its light has to pass through much
more atmosphere than when it’s shining straight
down onto the land, and this acts like a softening
ÀOWHU2QWRSRIWKLVKD]HDQGSROOXWLRQWHQGWR
hug the ground, so that those last few degrees
often see a rapid softening of shadow edges.
In practice, this means that what looked like
a bright day an hour before sunset unexpectedly
becomes almost shadowless three-quarters of
an hour later. The lesson here is not to expect
the crisp light to last for a moment longer than
ESSENTIAL KIT
Low sun and the clear you can see it, even though hanging on until
air of the 5000-metre the last minute is what most of us do in these
plateau of western conditions. The answer is to start early and
Tibet give a crisp keep shooting as the sun drops towards the
texture to the hills horizon, because the frame you just shot may
well turn out to be your best.
TASTE SENSATION
Mouth-watering
texture
Food photography relies on convincing
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
OPPOSITES ATTRACT
Heightening texture I
n the same way that some dishes aim to bring out the taste of
FHUWDLQLQJUHGLHQWVE\SDLULQJFRQWUDVWLQJÁDYRXUVVXFKDV
sweet and sour dishes in China, or cheese with apple pie in
SLR ADVICE
The studio
texture toolkit
Studio lighting has a range of functions,
and one of them is to control the
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
visibility of texture in the surfaces of
objects – usually to emphasise it, but
sometimes to hide it. Seen purely from
the point of view of texture control, here
are some of the most useful
photographic lights.
DISTANCE MATTERS
Lensed focusing spot
For ultimate precision, use a
Dedolight, which uses a parabolic
mirror and lenses to focus the light
NIKON SKILLS
single point source of
hen you think about it, it’s hibachi, whereas the craftsmanship
W
light, as harsh as you can get.
obvious: texture depends that went into the surface texture Bare-bulb studio lights are
on scale and distance. As needs something different. generally flashguns, but there’s
the main landscape on page 2QO\DFORVHYLHZUHYHDOVWKH nothing to stop you experimenting
173 illustrates, subjects in their own carpenter’s skill, which extends to with a regular, clear constant bulb.
right, like rice stalks, look like surface the creation of what looks like wood
texture when seen from far enough grain, but which in fact has been Softbox aka window
away. The opposite also holds true. carved by hand. The mixture of this /area light
Some textures come alive only when rough, wood-grain texture and the These come in a wide variety
you close in on them so that the eye smooth rounded curves of the carved of sizes, and are essential for
focuses on the macro detail. JRXUGFDOOVIRUDÁDVKPRGLÀHGZLWK shooting shiny surfaces (see
In the example here, of a Japanese a softbox), aimed from a low angle – the table on page 80). If your
‘hibachi’ or brazier (shown at two in effect, a hybrid of the textural subject has a mirror-like
scales), the lighting is very different lighting styles shown on page 172. surface, however, it will show
in the two versions. In the wider view Framing can also help emphasise any wrinkles in the softbox
NIKOPEDIA
(above), a high broad light, plus a texture if you completely crop out fabric, so a flawless sheet
secondary broad light under the any background, so that the texture of opalescent Perspex
camera, help reveal the form of the becomes a kind of pattern. may be best in this case.
Reflectors
An overall and close
Use a reflector to reduce
view of an exquisitely
carved Japanese texture from a main light
hibachi; one scale by placing it opposite the
reveals form, the light, to fill in shadows.
other texture Reflective surfaces give
the strongest effect,
while plain white gives
a more moderate,
neutral, effect.
ESSENTIAL KIT
Essential
Kit
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
DX vs FX 178
Wide-angle zooms 190
Standard FX zooms 198
Telephoto lenses 206
Flashguns 214
NIKON SKILLS
206
NIKOPEDIA
198
ESSENTIAL KIT
177
178
XXXXXXX
214
190
DX vs
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
FX
NIKON SKILLS
I
H[SHULHQFHGDPDWHXUORRNLQJ
upgrading your current IRUSUROHYHOIHDWXUHVDQGVSHFV
camera, or even – for that $OOWKDWFKDQJHGRYHUQLJKW
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NIKOPEDIA
The contenders*
* Prices for body only
179
ESSENTIAL KIT
IMAGE SENSOR
The pixel counts of the
sensors in current Nikon
Jargon buster
D-SLRs are mostly similar, at CROP FACTOR
just over 24MP. The FX-format
The crop factor is simply the
D810, though, pushes the boat
out at 36.3MP, whereas the multiple you need to apply
D500 ‘only’ features a to a lens’s focal length to
20.9MP sensor. work out its ‘effective’ focal
NIKOPEDIA
SLR ADVICE
At a glance
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
apart from the D5500. is ideal for adding a burst of
fill-flash when shooting subjects
that are reasonably close to the
AF ASSIST LAMP camera. This can also be used
Unlike in some makes of D-SLR, as a wireless commander for
Nikon adds an autofocus assist compatible flashguns.
lamp, which is fitted to every
camera in this test group.
TOP LCD
A backlit mono display on the
EXPOSURE top plate provides useful
NIKON SKILLS
COMPENSATION information about camera
In all cameras on test, the settings and status. It’s
exposure compensation absent on the downsized
button is conveniently D5500, which relies more on
placed just behind the shutter the rear screen for information.
release button, and works in
conjunction with the
main command dial. MODE DIAL
All but two of the cameras on
test have concentric shooting
mode and drive mode dials at
the left. In the D500 and D810
(and other pro-level bodies) the
shooting mode dial is replaced
by control buttons.
NIKOPEDIA
VIEWFINDER
The D5500 features a relatively
downmarket pentamirror
viewfinder with 95 per cent
coverage of the image frame. All MAIN COMMAND DIAL
the other cameras on test have The main command dial is used
pentaprism viewfinders with to set many of the main shooting
100 per cent frame coverage. parameters, such as aperture
in aperture-priority mode. It’s
often used in conjunction with
other buttons, such as the
LEFT-HAND BUTTONS exposure compensation button.
The buttons down the left-hand
side of the body provide quick
access to shooting and playback REAR LCD
ESSENTIAL KIT
NIKON D5500
LAB TEST RESULTS
Resolution at ISO100
Higher values are better
JPEG 30
TIFF 32
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Good overall, resolution scores are
slightly below those of the D7200, but
a bit better than those from the D500.
Colour accuracy
Closest to zero is best
-5.6
-4 -2 0 2 4 6
-6
Images are often a little on the cool side
when using auto white balance, and the
lab score of -5.6 is the worst on test.
50
40
Decibels
20
SMART, COMPACT AND RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE, IT’S PARTICULARLY TRAVEL-FRIENDLY
10
*Images are converted to TIFF
before being analysed
8SJUDGLQJ\RXUFDPHUDGRHVQ·W 7KH'ÀJKWVEDFN +RZHYHUXQOLNHDOORIWKHRWKHU
QHHGWRFRVWDIRUWXQH,I\RX·UH KRZHYHUZLWKDWRXFKVFUHHQ FDPHUDVRQWHVWWKH' 100 400 1600 6400 25600
SLR ADVICE
NIKON D7200
LAB TEST RESULTS
Resolution at ISO100
Higher values are better
JPEG 32
TIFF 34
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Colour accuracy
Closest to zero is best
4.5
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6
NIKON SKILLS
Higher values are better
50
40
Decibels
20
THIS HIGH-PERFORMANCE DX CAMERA IS GREAT VALUE
10
*Images are converted to TIFF
before being analysed
$QQRXQFHGDFRXSOHRIPRQWKV KHDYLHUWKDQWKH'ERG\ RIDPD[LPXPRIQLQHLQ5$:
DIWHUWKH'EDFNLQ0DUFK EXWIHHOVPRUHEDODQFHGZKHQ TXDOLW\PRGHDWWKHKLJKVSHHG 100 400 1600 6400 25600
NIKOPEDIA
RWKHU¶HQWKXVLDVW·ERGLHVIURP WKH'LVDOVRDVLJQLÀFDQW EH\RQGWKHXVXDO[';FURS 14
1LNRQLWIHDWXUHVDZHDOWKRI XSJUDGHRYHUWKH'ZLWK IDFWRU7KLVERRVWVWKHEXUVW
12
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WKHUHVROXWLRQWR03
Exposure value
LQVWDQWDFFHVVWRLPSRUWDQW LPDJHSURFHVVRUDQGLWV 10
VKRRWLQJVHWWLQJVDQXSPDUNHW VHFRQGJHQHUDWLRQ0XOWL&$0 7KH'DOVRGHOLYHUV
8
SHQWDSULVPYLHZÀQGHUDQGD ';,,$)V\VWHP7KHODWWHU JUHDWHUFRQVLVWHQF\DQG
WRSSODWH/&'DOORIZKLFKDUH LVDSRLQW$)V\VWHPZLWK DFFXUDF\ZKHQLWFRPHVWR 6
*Images are converted to TIFF
ODFNLQJLQWKH' FURVVW\SHSRLQWVZKLFKERDVWV DXWRIRFXVPHWHULQJDQGDXWR before being analysed
$VD';IRUPDWFDPHUDLW LPSURYHGDFFXUDF\HVSHFLDOO\ ZKLWHEDODQFHFRPSDUHGZLWK
100 400 1600 6400 25600
ZLOOREYLRXVO\EHFRPSDWLEOH LQGDUNHQYLURQPHQWV7KH HLWKHUWKH'RU'DV
ZLWKDQ\';OHQVHV\RXPLJKW EXIIHUFDSDFLW\KDVDOVREHHQ ZHOODVWKH'2YHUDOO The D7200 boasts accurate metering,
and does well to preserve highlight
DOUHDG\KDYHLQ\RXUFROOHFWLRQ LQFUHDVHGVR\RX·UHDEOHWR LPDJHTXDOLW\LVYLEUDQW\HW
detail in high-contrast images.
,W·VXQGHQLDEO\FKXQNLHUDQG FDSWXUHXSVKRWVLQVWHDG YHU\QDWXUDO
ESSENTIAL KIT
NIKON D610
LAB TEST RESULTS
Resolution at ISO100
Higher values are better
JPEG 30
TIFF 32
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
At ISO100, the D610 comes joint bottom
of the group for resolution, with the
same lab score as the D5500.
Colour accuracy
Closest to zero is best
3.3
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6
50
40
Decibels
20
NIKON’S MOST WALLET-FRIENDLY FX-FORMAT D-SLR IS STARTING TO SHOW ITS AGE
10
*Images are converted to TIFF
before being analysed
7KHELJJHVWSOXVSRLQWRIWKLV V\VWHPLVDOVRDJHQHUDWLRQ VKRWVLQ5$:TXDOLW\PRGH
FDPHUDLVWKDWLWRIIHUVIXOO EHKLQGWKDWRIWKHQHZHU depending on bit depth and 100 400 1600 6400 25600
EDODQFHJDYHGLIIHUHQWUHVXOWV 10
VXSHUVHGHGE\WKDWRIWKH' LWVJHQHURXVZHDWKHUVHDOLQJ LQFRQVHFXWLYHVKRWVXQGHU
8
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*Images are converted to TIFF
(;3(('SURFHVVRU XQLWDQGLWXVKHUHGLQD¶TXLHW WKDQZLWKDQ\RIWKHRWKHU before being analysed
7KHSRLQWDXWRIRFXV FRQWLQXRXV·GULYHPRGHDORQJ FDPHUDVRQWHVW7KHVDPHZDV 100 400 1600 6400 25600
V\VWHPLVDGHTXDWHDOWKRXJK ZLWKDQLQFUHDVHGPD[LPXP WUXHRIPHWHULQJZKLFKSURYHG
WKH$)SRLQWVRQO\FRYHUD EXUVWUDWHRIISVEXLOGLQJRQ VLPLODUO\YDULDEOH2YHUDOO One of the D610’s strengths is that it
retains plenty of detail in shadows
UHODWLYHO\FHQWUDODUHDRIWKH WKH'·VISV(YHQVR SHUIRUPDQFHZDVDOLWWOH
and highlights.
LPDJHIUDPH7KHPHWHULQJ LWVEXIIHUFDSDFLW\²MXVW GLVDSSRLQWLQJ
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
NIKON D750
LAB TEST RESULTS
Resolution at ISO100
Higher values are better
JPEG 32
TIFF 32
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
It edges ahead of the D610 at ISO100,
but falls short of the D810, thanks to
the latter’s higher megapixel count.
Colour accuracy
Closest to zero is best
-0.92
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6
NIKON SKILLS
Higher values are better
50
40
Decibels
20
A STUNNING FX CAMERA THAT TAKES ALMOST ANYTHING IN ITS STRIDE
10
*Images are converted to TIFF
before being analysed
7KH'KDVSUHWW\PXFKDOORI 8QOLNHWKH'WKH' bigger buffer and extended
WKHVDPHFRQWUROVLQDOORIWKH ERDVWVDQ(IIHFWVRSWLRQRQWKH EDWWHU\OLIH 100 400 1600 6400 25600
VDPHSODFHVDVWKH'DQG PRGHGLDO²EULQJLQJLWPRUH
'EXWLQWKH8.DWOHDVW LQOLQHZLWKWKH'7KLV
Performance Despite the average lab scores, high-ISO
images look cleaner and more detailed
LW·VFODVVHGDVD¶SURIHVVLRQDO· DORQJZLWKLWV6FHQHPRGHV 7KHVHFRQGJHQHUDWLRQ than those from any other camera on test.
UDWKHUWKDQ¶HQWKXVLDVW·OHYHO KHOSVWRPDNHWKH'YHU\ 0XOWL&$0,,SRLQW
FDPHUD,W·VDVOLPOLQHDIIDLU EHJLQQHUIULHQGO\²WKRXJK DXWRIRFXVV\VWHPLVWKHVDPHDV RAW* dynamic range
EDVHGRQDPRQRFRTXHERG\ LWDOVRFDWHUVWRHQWKXVLDVW WKDWXVHGLQWKH'DQGLV Higher values are better
NIKOPEDIA
EXWXQOLNHWKHVLPLODU¶RQH SKRWRJUDSKHUVZLWKLWV KLJKO\DFFXUDWH7KHVDPHJRHV 14
SLHFH·ERG\RIWKH' H[FHOOHQWUDQJHRIGLUHFW IRUWKH'&RORXU0DWUL[,,,
12
WKH'·VIHDWXUHVDPL[RI DFFHVVFRQWUROVIRUYDULRXV PHWHULQJV\VWHPDVIHDWXUHG
Exposure value
Verdict
Features Overall benchmark
Build/handling Benchmarks don’t always tell
The D750 is very beginner-friendly, though Performance the whole story. The D750 is
it also caters to enthusiast photographers, Value for money more than the sum of its scores,
delivering superb image quality
OVERALL
with its excellent range of direct controls in almost any conditions.
NIKON D500
LAB TEST RESULTS
Resolution at ISO100
Higher values are better
JPEG 30
TIFF 30
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
The D500’s slightly lower pixel count
means that it can’t resolve quite as much
fine detail as other cameras on test.
Colour accuracy
Closest to zero is best
1.6
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6
50
40
Decibels
20
NIKON COMES OUT ALL GUNS BLAZING WITH ITS NEW FLAGSHIP DX BODY
10
*Images are converted to TIFF
before being analysed
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EHHQVRORQJFRPLQJWKDWVRPH 'LVEOD]LQJO\IDVW,WKDVD EHQHÀWVIURPDJHQHURXVQDWLYH 100 400 1600 6400 25600
+DQGOLQJIHHOVHQWLUHO\QDWXUDO SVKRRWLQJ 10
IRUWKRVHXSJUDGLQJIURPD 7KH'ERDVWVWKHVDPH WHOHSKRWRUHDFKPDGHSRVVLEOH
8
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SUROHYHOFDPHUDV7KHWLOWLQJ 1LNRQ·VÁDJVKLSIXOOIUDPH' PD[LPXPIUDPHUDWHWKLV 6
*Images are converted to TIFF
WRXFKVFUHHQLVDQDGGHGERQXV FRPSOHWHZLWKQRIHZHUWKDQ FDPHUDPLJKWQRWEHWKHLGHDO before being analysed
DOWKRXJKWKHLPSOHPHQWDWLRQRI FURVVW\SH$)SRLQWV7KH FKRLFH,I\RXRIWHQVKRRWLQORZ 100 400 1600 6400 25600
WRXFKIHDWXUHVLVQ·WDVLQWXLWLYH PHWHULQJV\VWHPLVDOVRDFXW OLJKWRUOLNHWRVKRRWLPDJHV
DVLWLVLQWKH' above that of every other ZLWKDYHU\VKDOORZGHSWKRI The D500 edges ahead of other DX-
format bodies for dynamic range,
,QNHHSLQJZLWKWKH FDPHUDRQWHVWZLWKLWVQHZ ÀHOGWKHQWKH'PLJKWEH
taking the fight to the FX camp.
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ESSENTIAL KIT
Verdict
Features Overall benchmark
Build/handling The D500 makes full use of its
The D500 boasts the same 153-point AF Performance next-generation technology to
system as Nikon’s flagship D5, complete Value for money deliver an impressive set of lab
results across the board, from
OVERALL
with no fewer than 99 cross-type AF points colour accuracy to dynamic range.
SLR ADVICE
NIKON D810
LAB TEST RESULTS
Resolution at ISO100
Higher values are better
JPEG 36
TIFF 38
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
The D810 scores an easy win when
it comes to resolution, comfortably
beating all other cameras on test.
Colour accuracy
Closest to zero is best
0.9
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6
NIKON SKILLS
Higher values are better
50
40
Decibels
20
A LEGEND IN ITS OWN LIFETIME, IT’S THE HIGH-RES KING OF THE NIKON WORLD
10
*Images are converted to TIFF
before being analysed
%XLOGLQJRQWKHVXFFHVVRIWKH FDPHUDRQWHVWZLWKDIXOO\ FDSWXUHGDUHVLPSO\
'WKHUHGHVLJQHG' PDJQHVLXPDOOR\ERG\ DVWRQLVKLQJZKLFKLVDERQXV 100 400 1600 6400 25600
NIKOPEDIA
LQWKLVUHVSHFWZKLOHDQ2/3) PHWHULQJPRGXOH'HVSLWH DQGPLUURUDVVHPEO\ZLWKD 14
*Higher values are better
'UXOHVWKHURRVWZKHQLW 10
FRPHVWRPHJDSL[HOFRXQW KDYHDWLOWLQJUHDUVFUHHQRU FUHGHQWLDOVWKH'ERDVWVD
8
/LNHERWKWKH'DQG WRXFKVFUHHQFDSDELOLW\ UHDVRQDEOHUDSLGEXUVWUDWHRI
'WKH'LVFODVVHGDVD ISVZKLFKULVHVWRDQLSS\ISV 6
Verdict
Features Overall benchmark
Build/handling It’s an outright winner for pure
The D810’s main performance asset Performance resolution, but capturing additional
is that it can out-resolve any other Value for money fine detail comes at the expense
of extra noise and less dynamic
OVERALL
camera in this test group range at high-ISO settings.
Comparison table
HOW THE
CAMERAS
STACK UP
NIKON D5500 NIKON D7200 NIKON D610 NIKON D750 NIKON D500 NIKON D810
www.nikon.com
Street price (body only) £500, $800 £750, $1100 £1000, $1500 £1390, $2000 £1730, $2000 £2140, $2800
Date announced Jan 2015 Mar 2015 Oct 2013 Sep 2014 Jan 2016 June 2014
DX/FX DX DX FX FX DX FX
Image sensor 24.2MP CMOS 24.2MP CMOS 24.3MP CMOS 24.3MP CMOS 20.9MP CMOS 36.3MP CMOS
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
LCD screen 3.2-inch, 1,037k 3.2-inch, 1,229k 3.2-inch, 921k 3.2-inch, 1,229k, tilting 3.2-inch, 2,359k, 3.2-inch, 1,229k
vari-angle touchscreen tilting touchscreen
Memory 1x SD/HC/XC 2x SD/HC/XC 2x SD/HC/XC 2x SD/HC/XC 1x SD/HC/XC, 1x XQD 1x SD/HC/XC, 1x CF
Wi-Fi Built-in Built-in, + NFC Optional, WU-1b Built-in Built-in, + NFC & Bluetooth Optional, UT-1 & WT-5
Body materials Carbon fibre composite Mag alloy & polycarbonate Mag alloy & polycarbonate Mag alloy & carbon fibre Mag alloy & carbon fibre Magnesium alloy
Body (WxHxD) 124x97x70mm 136x107x76mm 141x113x82mm 141x113x78mm 147x115x81mm 146x123x82mm
NIKON SKILLS
FEATURES
BUILD/HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
OVERALL
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'6/5WKDW·VVXLWHGWRVSRUWVZLOGOLIHDQG DOLJKWZHLJKWWUDYHOFDPHUD
Play the
angles
Going wide can give you a new
perspective on life. Matthew
Richards investigates…
NIKON SKILLS
H WKHGD\VRIPPÀOPD
PPOHQVZDV
FRQVLGHUHG¶ZLGHDQJOH·
and anything with a shorter
IRFDOOHQJWKZDVVLPSO\
wide enough?
(YHQZLWKWKHUHODWLYHO\
generous maximum viewing
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IURPRXUZLGHDQJOHOHQVHV \RX·UHVKRRWLQJLQGRRUV\RX·UH
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cameras shrink to 24mm at the WRÀWHYHU\WKLQJ\RXZDQWWR
VKRUWHQGZKLOHWKHW\SLFDO LQFOXGHLQWRWKHVKRW9HQWXUH
minimum of 18mm for DX- to the great outdoors and shoot
format standard zooms gives DQ\WKLQJIURPH[SDQVLYH
NIKOPEDIA
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OHQJWK7KDWHTXDWHVWR \RXPLJKWVWLOOQRWEHDEOHWR
PD[LPXPYLHZLQJDQJOHVRI VTXHH]HHYHU\WKLQJ\RXZDQW
DURXQGGHJUHHVDQG into the frame.
GHJUHHVUHVSHFWLYHO\PHDVXUHG $ZLGHDQJOH]RRP
RQWKHGLDJRQDORIWKHLPDJH comes to the rescue with a
The contenders
SIGMA 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM £330, $450
TAMRON SP AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II £350, $500
SIGMA 12-24mm f/4-5.6 II DG HSM £530, $950
ESSENTIAL KIT
191
Nikon Photographer’s Handbook
WIDE-ANGLE ZOOMS
SLR ADVICE
LENS HOOD
OPTICAL STABILISATION The widest-angle Nikon
Camera shake in handheld 14-24mm, Sigma 12-24mm and
wide-angle photography isn’t Tamron 15-30mm lenses on test
usually a problem, but all have permanently fixed,
stabilisation can still be useful if built-in lens hoods with no filter
you’re shooting in very low light. attachment threads.
For this class of lens, it’s usually a others in the group have
more important consideration ring-type ultrasonic systems,
than the size of the zoom range. with the availability of full-time
manual override.
FOCAL LENGTH
(MAXIMUM)
Top tips The long end of the zoom range
might have roughly the same
focal length as your standard
VIEWING ANGLE zoom at its shortest setting,
This can be measured on the but it is likely to produce much
horizontal or vertical plane of the less distortion.
image frame, but manufacturers
usually quote it on the diagonal, APERTURE RATING
The Nikon 14-24mm and
as it’s the largest number.
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
DX DX
NIKON SKILLS
HIGH-END FEATURES COME AT A BARGAIN PRICE INEXPENSIVE TO BUY, BUT NOT THE MOST REFINED CHOICE
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Centre sharpness (Higher is better)
2500 2500
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500 500
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0 0
ULQJW\SHXOWUDVRQLFDXWRIRFXV DGGDQLQWHUQDODXWRIRFXV
f/2.8 f/3.5-4.5 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/25-32 f/2.8 f/3.5-4.5 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/25-32
V\VWHP7KLVLPSURYHVKDQGOLQJ PRWRULQVWHDGRIUHO\LQJRQ
DVWKHIRFXVULQJGRHVQ·WURWDWH 10mm 14mm 17mm 20mm autofocus drive from the host 10mm 15mm 20mm 24mm
GXULQJDXWRIRFXVLQJZKLOHDOVR Good across the frame, and consistent FDPHUD7KLVPDNHVDXWRIRFXV At medium zoom settings, centre
across the aperture and zoom ranges. sharpness is poor at the widest aperture.
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PDQXDORYHUULGH 'DQG'
Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better) Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
NIKOPEDIA
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DPRQJWKH';IRUPDWOHQVHVRQ Wide 2.26 Mid 2.86 Long 1.66 DXWRIRFXVPRWRULQWKH Wide 4.29 Mid 2.28 Long 1.77
WHVWLVWKHFRQVWDQWDSHUWXUH At the short end of the zoom range, it’s PPOHQVLVDUHODWLYHO\EDVLF A little worse than average at 10mm, but
GHVLJQ7KH1LNRQDQG7DPURQ the best DX-format lens on test. HOHFWULFDIIDLUZKLFKLVDOLWWOH diminishes through the rest of the range.
PPOHQVHVPDWFKWKH VOXJJLVKDQGFOHDUO\DXGLEOHLQ
6LJPD·VIUDWLQJDWWKHVKRUW Distortion (Nearer 0 is better) RSHUDWLRQ8QOLNHHYHU\RWKHU Distortion (Nearer 0 is better)
HQGRIWKH]RRPUDQJHEXWLWLV WIDE -2.28 OHQVRQWHVWWKHIRFXVULQJ WIDE -2.85
WZRWKLUGVRIDQIVWRSIDVWHUDW MID -0.2
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LONG -1.55
WKHORQJHQGDVWKHRWKHUWZR -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 FDQLPSDLUKDQGOLQJ -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
OHQVHVVKULQNWRI Almost non-existent at mid-zoom Quite well controlled at 10mm and, like
settings; well-restrained at the extremes. Performance fringing, reduces at longer zoom settings.
Performance )RXUDVSKHULFDOHOHPHQWVWZR
7KHDXWRIRFXVV\VWHPLVTXLFN /'/RZ'LVSHUVLRQHOHPHQWV
DQGTXLHWDQGLPDJHTXDOLW\LV Verdict and an HID (High-refractive Verdict
ESSENTIAL KIT
FX FX
DELIVERS AN EYE-POPPING VIEWING ANGLE THE CHEAPEST NIKON ON TEST – BUT THE LEAST WIDE
<RXFRXOGEHIRUJLYHQIRU 6LPLODUWRXVLQJDPPOHQV
thinking that this is a DX-
Centre sharpness (Higher is better) RQD';FDPHUDWKLV);IRUPDW
Centre sharpness (Higher is better)
2500 2500
IRUPDWOHQVFRQVLGHULQJLWV ]RRPKDVDZLGHVWDYDLODEOH
PLQLPXPIRFDOOHQJWK,QIDFW 2000 YLHZLQJDQJOHRIGHJUHHV 2000
OHDVWWKHWZRSDUWKRRGHQDEOHV Clever design maximises sharpness RQO\MXVWRYHUDWKLUGRIWKH Plenty of sharpness at the centre of the
across the whole image frame. frame, but it drops off towards the edges.
WKHXVHRIPPÀOWHUVDWWKH weight of the Nikon 14-24mm.
ORQJHQGRIWKH]RRPUDQJH 'HVSLWHEHLQJDOLJKWZHLJKW
Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better) Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
NIKOPEDIA
7RSTXDOLW\JODVVLQFOXGHV WKHOHQVIHHOVUHDVRQDEO\ZHOO
IRXU)/')OXRULWHJUDGH/RZ Short 5.6 Mid 3.6 Long 1.36 SXWWRJHWKHU$WWUDFWLRQV Wide 1.62 Mid 1.27 Long 1.54
'LVSHUVLRQHOHPHQWVRQH6/' At the shortest length, there’s more corner LQFOXGHULQJW\SHXOWUDVRQLF There’s very little fringing in evidence,
6SHFLDO/RZ'LVSHUVLRQDQG fringing than from any other lens on test. DXWRIRFXV('([WUDORZ throughout the entire zoom range.
IRXUDVSKHULFDOHOHPHQWV%XLOG 'LVSHUVLRQJODVVDQGDUXEEHU
TXDOLW\DOVRIHHOVLPSUHVVLYH Distortion (Nearer 0 is better) ZHDWKHUVHDORQWKHPRXQWLQJ Distortion (Nearer 0 is better)
SODWH8QOLNHVRPHRI1LNRQ·V
Performance WIDE -6.22
MID -3.45 PRUHODYLVKOHQVHVLWKDV6,&
WIDE -3.67
MID -1.93
LONG 1.07 LONG -1.59
7KHULQJW\SHXOWUDVRQLF -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 6XSHU,QWHJUDWHG&RDWLQJ -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
autofocus system is fast and Hefty barrel distortion at 12mm is to be UDWKHUWKDQ1DQR&U\VWDO&RDW Distortion at the maximum viewing angle
TXLHWZKLOHVKDUSQHVVDQG expected. Minimal at longer settings. EXWUHVLVWDQFHWRJKRVWLQJDQG is less than with the other Nikon lenses.
FRQWUDVWDUHYHU\QHDUO\DV ÁDUHLVSUHWW\JRRGQRQHWKHOHVV
LPSUHVVLYHDVIURPWKH1LNRQ
PPOHQV7KH6LJPDGRHV Verdict Performance Verdict
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
DX FX
NIKON SKILLS
IT’S AN EXPENSIVE OPTION FOR A DX WIDE-ANGLE ZOOM A RELATIVELY NEW, HIGH-QUALITY FX CONTENDER
7KLVOHQVODFNVWKHIFRQVWDQW /DXQFKHGODVW\HDU7DPURQ·V
DSHUWXUHGHVLJQRI1LNRQ·VROGHU
Centre sharpness (Higher is better) XOWUDZLGH);IRUPDW]RRPLV
Centre sharpness (Higher is better)
2500 2500
PP';IRUPDWRSWLFEXW PXFKPRUHXSPDUNHWWKDQLWV
EHDWVLWIRU]RRPUDQJHDQG 2000 PP';OHQV,WERDVWV 2000
DOVRFKHDSHUWKDQWKHPP 1000
RSWLFDOVWDELOLVDWLRQDQGDIDVW 1000
EXWWKHUH·VQRKLGLQJWKHIDFW IDSHUWXUHWKDWLVDYDLODEOH
500 500
WKDWLW·VDERXWWZLFHWKHSULFHRI throughout the zoom range.
0 0
WKH6LJPDDQG7DPURQ'; 7KHPD[LPXPYLHZLQJDQJOHLV
f/2.8 f/3.5-4.5 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/25-32 f/2.8 f/3.5-4.5 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/25-32
IRUPDWOHQVHVRQWHVW6RZKDW DOPRVWDVZLGHDVIURPWKH
GR\RXJHWIRUWKHH[WUDRXWOD\" 10mm 15mm 20mm 24mm 1LNRQPPEXWQDUURZHU 15mm 20mm 24mm 30mm
7KHOHQVIHDWXUHVDULQJW\SH Very good at 10mm but drops off as you than from the Sigma 12-24mm. Very good, but for edge sharpness it lags
extend through the zoom range. behind the Nikon 14-24mm at f/2.8.
XOWUDVRQLFDXWRIRFXVV\VWHP /LNHWKHVHWZRFRPSHWLWRUVWKH
ODFNLQJLQWKH7DPURQDQGD 7DPURQKDVDEXLOWLQOHQVKRRG
Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better) Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
NIKOPEDIA
ZHDWKHUVHDOHGPRXQWODFNLQJ +LJKHQGJODVVLQFOXGHVD
LQWKH6LJPD4XDOLW\JODVV Wide 3.89 Mid 2.67 Long 1.29 ODUJH;*0H;SDQGHG*ODVV Short 1.67 Mid 1.84 Long 0.91
LQFOXGHVWKUHHDVSKHULFDO There’s evidence of fringing in corners, 0RXOGHG$VSKHULFDOHOHPHQW There’s very little colour fringing
HOHPHQWVDQGWZR('RQHV7KH especially at short to mid zoom settings. LQWKHIURQWJURXSZLWKVHYHUDO throughout the zoom range.
RYHUDOOEXLOGGRHVQ·WIHHODV PRUHDVSKHULFDODQG/'/RZ
UREXVWDVWKDWRIWKH6LJPDOHQV Distortion (Nearer 0 is better) 'LVSHUVLRQHOHPHQWVIXUWKHU Distortion (Nearer 0 is better)
WKRXJKERWKGHVLJQVIHDWXUHD WIDE -4.37 EDFN7KHZHDWKHUUHVLVWDQW WIDE -4.87
IRFXVGLVWDQFHVFDOHEHQHDWKD MID -0.7
LONG 0.7
FRQVWUXFWLRQLQFOXGHVDÁXRULQH MID -0.66
LONG 0.79
YLHZLQJZLQGRZ7KH7DPURQ·V -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 FRDWLQJRQWKHIURQWHOHPHQW -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
GLVWDQFHVFDOHLVSULQWHGRQWKH Quite pronounced at 10mm, but there’s Typically heavy barrel at the short end of
surface of the focus ring. little distortion at mid to long settings. Performance the range, otherwise very well controlled.
7KH9LEUDWLRQ&RPSHQVDWLRQ
Performance VWDELOLVHULVZRUWKDERXWWZR
1RWDOWRJHWKHULQVSLULQJOHYHOV Verdict IVWRSVLQKDQGKHOGVKRRWLQJ Verdict
ESSENTIAL KIT
FX FX
ONCE INNOVATIVE, IT’S SINCE BEEN OVERTAKEN IT’S A BIG LENS, WITH BIG PERFORMANCE AND A BIG PRICE
:KHQDQQRXQFHGEDFNLQ 7KLVLVWKHELJJHVW1LNRQOHQVRQ
WKLVOHQVZDVSURFODLPHGWREH
Centre sharpness (Higher is better) WHVWDQGZHLJKVDIXOONLORJUDP
Centre sharpness (Higher is better)
2500 2500
WKHÀUVWHYHU);IRUPDW EXWLW·VSK\VLFDOO\VKRUWHUDQG
XOWUDZLGH]RRPWRKDYHRSWLFDO 2000 JUDPVOLJKWHUWKDQWKH 2000
YLHZLQJDQJOHLVZLGHUWKDQ 1000
WKH7DPURQIRUPD[LPXP 1000
IURPWKH1LNRQPPOHQV YLHZLQJDQJOHDWGHJUHHV
500 500
WKDW·VDOVRRQWHVWDWUDWKHU YHUVXVGHJUHHV,QIDLUQHVV
0 0
WKDQGHJUHHV7KHDSHUWXUH WKLVLVRQO\DVOLJKWGLIIHUHQFH
f/2.8 f/3.5-4.5 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/25-32 f/2.8 f/3.5-4.5 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/25-32
LVPRUHZHOOURXQGHGEDVHGRQ WKDWZLOORIWHQJRXQQRWLFHGLQ
nine rather than seven 16mm 24mm 28mm 35mm SUDFWLFH,WKDVDIDVWDQG 14mm 16mm 20mm 34mm
GLDSKUDJPEODGHVDQGWKH Excellent sharpness is available when FRQVWDQWIDSHUWXUHDQGDQ Excellent, throughout the zoom range
stopping down a little, across the frame. and across the entire image frame.
ZLGHVWDYDLODEOHDSHUWXUH LQWHJUDOOHQVKRRG
UHPDLQVÀ[HGDWI+RZHYHU 1DQR&U\VWDO&RDWLVDSSOLHG
Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better) Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
NIKOPEDIA
WKHPP95LVEHDWHQE\ WRIHQGRIIJKRVWLQJDQGÁDUH
WKH7DPURQPPIRU Wide 1.13 Mid 1.91 Long 1.25 7KLVLVLPSRUWDQWEHFDXVH Wide 2.29 Mid 1.06 Long 1.35
PD[LPXPYLHZLQJDQJOHDQG There’s very little fringing throughout the XOWUDZLGHOHQVHVWHQGWRWDNHLQ As in the other Nikon FX lenses on test,
WKHODWWHUKDVDQIFRQVWDQW zoom range, particularly at the short end. DORWRIVN\LQRXWGRRUVKRRWLQJ there’s very little colour fringing.
DSHUWXUHUDWLQJZKLOHDOVR DQGWKHEXOERXVIURQWHOHPHQW
IHDWXULQJRSWLFDOVWDELOLVDWLRQ Distortion (Nearer 0 is better) SK\VLFDOO\H[WHQGVDWVKRUWHU Distortion (Nearer 0 is better)
]RRPVHWWLQJVFRPLQJQHDUWR
Performance WIDE -5.51
MID -0.04 WKHOHDGLQJHGJHRIWKHKRRG
WIDE -5.23
MID -1.37
LONG 1.21 LONG -0.67
*LYHQWKDW\RXFDQJHWDZD\ -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2
ZLWKIDLUO\VORZVKXWWHUVSHHGV Extreme barrel distortion at 16mm dies
Performance There’s barrel distortion at 14mm but next
LQXOWUDZLGHKDQGKHOG away at mid zoom settings. $OODVSHFWVRILPDJHTXDOLW\DUH to none at the long end of the zoom range.
VKRRWLQJLW·VQRWVXUSULVLQJWKDW RXWVWDQGLQJ6XSHUEVKDUSQHVV
95LVRQO\ZRUWKDERXW reaches right into the corners of
IVWRSV7KDW·VVWLOOEHWWHUWKDQ Verdict WKHIUDPHHYHQDWI7KLVLV Verdict
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
Comparison
table
HOW THE
LENSES
STACK UP SIGMA TAMRON SIGMA NIKON NIKON TAMRON NIKON NIKON
10-20mm f/3.5 EX SP AF 10-24mm 12-24mm f/4-5.6 II AF-S 18-35mm AF-S DX 10-24mm SP 15-30mm f/2.8 AF-S 16-35mm AF-S 14-24mm
DC HSM f/3.5-4.5 Di II DG HSM f/3.5-4.5G ED f/3.5-4.5G ED Di VC USD f/4G ED VR f/2.8G ED
www.sigma-global.com www.tamron.co.uk www.sigma-global.com www.nikon.com www.tamron.co.uk www.nikon.com
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Street price £330, $450 £350, $500 £530, $950 £550, $750 £640, $800 £850, $1200 £900, $1000 £1460, $1700
DX/FX DX DX FX FX DX FX FX FX
Effective focal length 15-30mm 15-36mm 18-36mm 27-52.5mm 15-36mm 22.5-45mm 24-52.5mm 21-36mm
(DX)
Angle of view 110-71º 108-60º 122-84º 100-63º 109-61º 110-71º 107-63º 114-84º
(diagonal)
Elements/groups 13 / 10 12 / 9 17 / 13 12 / 8 14 / 9 18 / 13 17 / 12 14 / 11
Diaphragm blades 7 blades 7 blades 6 blades 7 blades 7 blades 9 blades 9 blades 9 blades
Minimum aperture f/22 f/22-f/29 f/22-f/29 f/22-f/29 f/22-f/29 f/22 f/22 f/22
Optical stabiliser No No No No No Yes Yes No
Autofocus motor type Ultrasonic (ring) Electric motor Ultrasonic (ring) Ultrasonic (ring) Ultrasonic (ring) Ultrasonic (ring) Ultrasonic (ring) Ultrasonic (ring)
Internal focus Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Min focus distance 0.24m 0.24m 0.28m 0.28m 0.24m 0.28m 0.28m 0.28m
Max magnification 0.15x 0.20x 0.16x 0.20x 0.20x 0.20x 0.25x 0.15x
Filter size 82mm 77mm 82mm (slip-on) 77mm 77mm N/A 77mm N/A
Lens hood Supplied Supplied Built-in Supplied Supplied Built-in Supplied Built-in
Dimensions (dia x
NIKON SKILLS
length) 87x88mm 83x87mm 87x120mm 83x95mm 83x87mm 98x145mm 83x125mm 98x132mm
Weight 520g 406g 670g 385g 460g 1100g 680g 1000g
FEATURES
BUILD/HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
OVERALL
f/2.8 Di VC USD
NIKOPEDIA
FX What’s good: Spectacular image
quality – superb sharpness.
What’s bad: No optical
£850, $12000 stabilisation; expensive.
What’s good: Image quality, ultra-wide viewing Verdict: The ultimate ultra-wide
angle, fast f/2.8 aperture, optical stabilisation. FX- format lens, but so pricey.
What’s bad: Edge sharpness isn’t as good as from
the Nikon 14-24mm or 16-35mm lenses at f/2.8 to f/4.
Our verdict: It’s a fabulous lens with excellent DQGHGJHVKDUSQHVVDWYHU\ZLGH Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX
handling, and is very reasonably priced. DSHUWXUHVEXWLVPXFKOHVVH[SHQVLYH DC HSM £3300, $4550 DX
PDWFKHVWKH1LNRQIRULWVFRQVWDQWI ,QWKH';FDPSWKH6LJPDPP
DSHUWXUH\HWDGGVRSWLFDOVWDELOLVDWLRQLV ILVWKHEHVWFKRLFHIRUSHUIRUPDQFH
EHDXWLIXOO\EXLOWZLWKDZHDWKHUUHVLVWDQW DQGLW·VDVWHDODWWKHSULFH)RUDQHYHQ
FRQVWUXFWLRQDQGGHOLYHUVIDEXORXV ZLGHUYLHZLQJDQJOHRQD';ERG\WKH
LPDJHTXDOLW\,WPDUJLQDOO\ORVHVRXWWR 6LJPDPPLVWKHGLUHFWHTXLYDOHQWRI
WKH1LNRQIRUPD[LPXPYLHZLQJDQJOH WKHPP);OHQVRQWHVW
Versatile
performers
Need a standard zoom for
NIKON SKILLS
P
urchase a Nikon full- When you’re out for a stroll
frame D-SLR body and about town or jetting off to the
you can be assured of other side of the world, a good
something special. zoom lens cuts down the
Geared to the high-end carrying load and gives you
enthusiast and professional greater versatility. You can
sectors of the market, FX respond to varied photo
bodies deliver quality where opportunities with a mere
it counts: in the image. There’s twist of the zoom ring, instead
NIKOPEDIA
The contenders
TAMRON SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di £320, $500
NIKON AF-S 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR £360, $500
SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM £550, $800
ESSENTIAL KIT
199
ESSENTIAL KIT
They’re typically larger and although the Nikon 24-120mm through the zoom range. correct in image-editing
heavier than DX lenses, as and Sigma 24-105mm lenses Talking of zooms, the range programs like Lightroom.
they’re required to produce a have a narrower f/4 constant offered by FX standard zoom Yet another difference is that
bigger image circle that can aperture. This helps to keep the lenses is sometimes smaller than most DX-format standard zoom
cover a full-frame image sensor size and weight of the lenses it is with DX lenses, equating to lenses give a relatively blinkered
rather than a smaller APS-C manageable for everyday MXVWXQGHU[IRUDW\SLFDO wide-angle perspective at their
format one. shooting, despite the bigger 24-70mm zoom. shortest focal length. For
Aiming to deliver the quality, zoom range and longer Again, this helps to maintain H[DPSOH1LNRQ·VPPDQG
versatility and performance telephoto reach. high image quality, with a 18-105m DX-format ‘kit’ lenses
demanded by enthusiast and 7KHRQO\H[FHSWLRQWRWKH potential reduction in barrel and only give an effective focal
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
professional photographers, constant-aperture rule comes in pincushion distortions at either length of 27mm at their shortest
most FX-format zoom lenses are the shape of the Nikon 24-85mm end of the zoom range. zoom setting. By comparison,
constant-aperture, which means lens, which has a variable It also helps to keep most FX-format standard zooms
you can set the widest aperture PD[LPXPDSHUWXUHWKDWVKULQNV distortions more uniform across offer a wider viewing angle,
in manual or aperture-priority IURPIWRIDV\RXH[WHQG the frame, so they’re easier to based on a shortest focal length
shooting mode and know that of 24mm. The only current
LW·VJRLQJWRUHPDLQÀ[HG H[FHSWLRQRQWKHPDUNHWLVWKH
regardless of changes in Tamron 28-75mm lens. This
the zoom setting. relatively old lens is also the only
The widest available aperture Aiming to deliver the quality, versatility and one in the group that lacks
also tends to be faster than in performance demanded by enthusiast and ring-type ultrasonic autofocus,
most DX-format lenses. Most which is quick and quiet, as well
of the lenses in this test group
pro photographers, most FX-format zoom as enabling full-time manual
have a constant f/2.8 aperture, lenses have a constant-aperture design override in single AF mode.
NIKON SKILLS
APERTURE
ZOOM RANGE Most of the lenses on test boast
The most ‘standard’ zoom range for a fairly fast constant f/2.8 max
this class of FX lens is 24-70mm, but aperture, but both of the ‘longer’
a couple of the zooms, from Sigma lenses from Sigma and Nikon
and Nikon, extend the reach to have a constant f/4 aperture.
105mm and 120mm respectively.
AUTOFOCUS
All but the Tamron 28-75mm feature RING PLACEMENT
ring-type ultrasonic autofocus, which Some lenses have the zoom ring
NIKOPEDIA
Jargon buster
ZOOM DIRECTION
VIGNETTE CONTROL The operating direction of the
All lenses suffer from a darkening zoom ring is reversed in the
of the corners, especially at very two Sigma lenses (you twist
anti-clockwise for longer zoom
wide angles and apertures, to settings, viewed from rear)
varying extents. Many Nikon bodies compared with Nikon lenses.
now offer Vignette Control, which All lenses on test physically
corrects this with Nikon lenses. extend when zooming.
ESSENTIAL KIT
DISTORTION CORRECTION
In some of the newer Nikon bodies, OPTICAL
STABILISATION
automatic correction is available for
Only half of the lenses on test
distortion when using many Nikon have optical stabilisation. It
lenses, which can save time at the can be a big help for handheld
editing stage. shooting in dull light.
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Tamron SP AF 28-75mm Nikon AF-S 24-85mm
f/2.8 XR Di £320, $500 f/3.5-4.5G ED VR £3660, $5000
NIKON SKILLS
SMALL AND INEXPENSIVE, BUT A BIT BASIC NOT JUST A KIT LENS
addition of a built-in autofocus 1500 purchase in its own right. It’s 1500
PRWRU,W·VWKHOHDVWH[SHQVLYH 1000
UHODWLYHO\LQH[SHQVLYHIRUDQ); 1000
lens in the group in the UK, standard zoom, quite small and
500 500
although it has the same price the outright lightest in weight
as the Nikon 24-85mm in the 0
of any lens in this test group, at 0
f/2.8-3.5 f/4-5 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/32 f/2.8-3.5 f/4-5 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/32
USA. It loses out to the Nikon in just 465g. It’s not all good news,
zoom range, especially at the 28mm 35mm 50mm 70mm though, as it’s also the only lens 24mm 50mm 70mm 85mm
wide-angle end, but beats it for It edges ahead of the similarly priced Nikon in the group to lack a constant- It’s good on the whole, but corner
24-85mm (right) across the zoom range. sharpness is lacking at wide apertures.
aperture with a constant f/2.8. aperture design. Even so, the
For an f/2.8 standard zoom, PD[LPXPDSHUWXUHUDQJHRI
Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better) Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
NIKOPEDIA
the Tamron is remarkably ILVQ·WH[DFWO\VORZ
compact and light, at just Short 2.88 Mid 1.35 Long 1 Compared with the similarly Short 3.71 Mid 1.94 Long 1.46
[PPDQGJ,WDOVR Control over fringing is pretty good at priced Tamron 28-75mm lens There’s not much colour fringing, but it
KDVWKHVPDOOHVWÀOWHUWKUHDGRI 28mm, and gets better at longer settings. that’s also on test (left), three can be a little evident at 24mm.
any lens in the group, at 67mm, advantages are a wider angle
although it’s the only one that Distortion (Nearer 0 is better) of view at the short end of the Distortion (Nearer 0 is better)
only zooms out to 28mm, as SHORT -1.57 zoom range; the addition of VR SHORT -4.06
opposed to 24mm. MID 1.11
LONG 1.11
(Vibration Reduction); and MID 2.97
LONG 2.97
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 faster, quieter ring-type -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
Performance The reduced wide-angle coverage means ultrasonic autofocus. Barrel distortion is pretty hefty at the
Image quality is good on the that barrel distortion is minimal. shortest end of the zoom range.
whole, and marginally sharper Performance
than from the Nikon 24-85mm. Autofocus speed is a little
For handheld shooting, though, Verdict pedestrian and VR lacks the Verdict
ESSENTIAL KIT
the lack of stabilisation can Features usual ‘Active’ mode, but Features
degrade sharpness. Considering Build/handling sharpness and contrast are Build/handling
the basic electric motor, Performance good, aided by the inclusion of Performance
autofocus isn’t too noisy or Value for money DQ('([WUDORZ'LVSHUVLRQ Value for money
slow, but the focus ring rotates OVERALL element. Vignetting is less OVERALL
during autofocus, which can It’s a decent budget buy, but the reduced pronounced than with the It’s a good buy at the price but image
impair handling. wide-angle coverage is slightly limiting. Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lenses. quality is good rather than great.
IT’S SHOWING ITS AGE A LITTLE BIG ZOOM RANGE, GREAT VALUE
is an older ‘EX’ design that dates 2000 on test (left), this one goes large 2000
the Nikon 24-70mm lenses on It’s a pretty sharp lens overall, but corner Dispersion) elements as well Centre sharpness is excellent, but corner
sharpness is poor at 24mm. sharpness is generally less impressive.
WHVWDW[PPDQGJ as an optical stabiliser (absent
Quality glass includes an ELD in the Sigma 24-70mm).
Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better) Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
NIKOPEDIA
than in the Nikon 24-70mm Features even at the widest f/4 aperture, Features
lenses. Image quality is good, Build/handling although the Sigma loses out Build/handling
apart from colour fringing and Performance slightly to the Nikon 24-120mm Performance
a lack of corner sharpness at Value for money VR for corner sharpness. Colour Value for money
24mm. The lack of optical OVERALL fringing and distortions are OVERALL
stabilisation can make handheld Image quality could be better at 24mm, well controlled, and image Strong performance, zoom range and
shooting more of a challenge. but it’s a good performer overall. quality is very convincing. build quality make this lens a smart buy.
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Tamron SP 24-70mm Nikon AF-S 24-120mm
f/2.8 Di VC USD £680, $13000 f/4G ED VR £850, $11000
NIKON SKILLS
A FULLY-FEATURED TRENDSETTER TOP OF THE CLASS FOR ZOOM RANGE
zoom. Indeed, this Tamron lens 2000 in the group for zoom range, 2000
is now four years old, whereas 1500 stretching from 24mm to an 1500
autofocus, stabilisation, Centre sharpness is very good at most UHDOO\WLJKWGHSWKRIÀHOG Sharpness is good across the entire
settings. Corner sharpness lags behind. frame, throughout the whole zoom range.
a nine-blade diaphragm and A popular kit lens option with
weather seals. The optical the D750, it nevertheless feels
Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better) Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
NIKOPEDIA
GHVLJQLQFOXGHVWZR;5([WUD less like a ‘kit’ lens than the
5HIUDFWLYH,QGH[DQGWKUHH/' Short 2.23 Mid 1.09 Long 1.27 Nikon 24-85mm VR. Build Short 4.06 Mid 2.64 Long 1.33
(Low Dispersion) elements. It There’s less fringing than from the Nikon quality feels better, and the VR On the high side at the short end of the
feels a fully professional-grade 24-70mm lenses at short to mid settings. system has normal and active zoom range, but better at longer settings.
lens. Unlike on the Sigma modes. Other improvements
lenses on test, the direction of Distortion (Nearer 0 is better) over the 24-85mm lens include Distortion (Nearer 0 is better)
operation of the zoom ring is SHORT -3.19 Nano Crystal rather than Super SHORT -4.19
the same as in Nikon lenses. MID 1.16
LONG 1.63
Integrated coatings, to reduce MID 2.55
LONG 2.9
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 JKRVWLQJDQGÁDUHDQGDEHWWHU -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
Performance Distortion at 24mm is better controlled rounded nine-blade diaphragm. Pronounced at 16mm but not overly bad,
Autofocus is fast, quiet and than in the Nikon 24-70mm lenses. considering the large viewing angle.
accurate. Centre sharpness is Performance
JHQHUDOO\H[FHOOHQWEXWGURSV There’s little to choose between
off a little at longer zoom Verdict this and the Nikon 24-85mm in Verdict
ESSENTIAL KIT
THIS OLD-TIMER STILL HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER A MAJOR UPGRADE, IN SOME WAYS
of choice for many pros. Design 2000 Building on the success of the 2000
highlights include three ED 1500 older ‘G’ lens (left), it adds 1500
the new VR edition of Nikon’s Great in the centre, sharpness drops off 2SWLFDOÀQHU\LQFOXGHVWZR Centre sharpness is exemplary. Corner
considerably towards the corners. sharpness is better than in most rivals.
24-70mm (right). Speaking of ED glass elements and an HRI
which, Vibration Reduction is element, plus a newly developed
Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better) Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
NIKOPEDIA
IRUZDUG,W·VDFRQÀJXUDWLRQ -4 -3 -2 -1 0
LONG 0.53
1 2 3
Performance -4 -3 -2 -1 0
LONG 2.12
1 2 3
WKDWVRPHPD\ÀQGXQLQWXLWLYH There’s heavy barrel distortion at 24mm, For rapid bursts of shots, the At 24mm and 70mm, worse than
but very little pincushion at 70mm. electromagnetically controlled Nikon’s older 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.
Performance diaphragm ensures consistency
AF is fast and quiet, and centre LQH[SRVXUHVZKLOHDXWRIRFXVLV
VKDUSQHVVLVH[FHOOHQWEHDWLQJ Verdict rapid. Centre sharpness is Verdict
ESSENTIAL KIT
that of the Nikon 24-70mm at Features superb and corner sharpness is Features
some combinations of zoom Build/handling better than in the older Nikon Build/handling
setting and aperture. However, Performance or the Tamron 24-70mm lenses. Performance
corner sharpness is less Value for money Image quality isn’t perfect, Value for money
impressive and similar to that OVERALL however: vignetting is OVERALL
of the Tamron 24-70mm, and It’s a sturdy workhorse with good overall noticeable at f/2.8, and It’s a very high-quality lens, and superbly
vignetting is very noticeable. quality, but lacks Vibration Reduction. wide-angle distortion is heavy. sharp, but not entirely perfect.
SLR ADVICE
Comparison
table
HOW THE
LENSES
STACK UP TAMRON NIKON SIGMA SIGMA TAMRON NIKON NIKON NIKON
SP AF 28-75mm AF-S 24-85mm 24-70mm f/2.8 24-105mm f/4 SP 24-70mm AF-S 24-120mm AF-S 24-70mm AF-S 24-70mm
f/2.8 XR Di f/3.5-4.5G ED VR IF EX DG HSM DG OS HSM | A f/2.8 Di VC USD f/4G ED VR f/2.8G ED f/2.8E ED VR
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Street price (UK, USA) £320, $500 £360, $500 £550, $800 £600, $900 £680, $1300 £850, $1100 £1200, $1800 £1850, $2400
Effective focal 42-112.5mm 36-127.5mm 36-105mm 36-157.5mm 36-105mm 36-180mm 36-105mm 36-105mm
length (DX)
Internal zoom/focus No / Yes No / Yes No / Yes No / Yes No / Yes No / Yes No / Yes No / Yes
Elements/groups 16 / 14 16 / 11 14 / 12 19 / 14 17 / 12 17 / 13 15 / 11 20 / 16
Focus type Electric motor Ultrasonic (ring type) Ultrasonic (ring type) Ultrasonic (ring type) Ultrasonic (ring type) Ultrasonic (ring type) Ultrasonic (ring type) Ultrasonic (ring type)
Min. focus distance 0.33m 0.38m 0.38m 0.45m 0.38m 0.45m 0.38m (35-50mm) 0.38m (35-50mm)
Max. reproduction 0.26x 0.22x 0.19x 0.22x 0.20x 0.24x 0.27x 0.28x
ratio
Filter size 67mm 72mm 82mm 82mm 82mm 77mm 77mm 82mm
Accessories incl. Hood Hood, pouch Hood, soft case Hood, soft case Hood Hood, pouch Hood, soft case Hood, soft case
Diameter x min length 73x92mm 78x82mm 89x95mm 89x109mm 88x117mm 84x104mm 83x133mm 88x155mm
NIKON SKILLS
Weight 510g 465g 790g 885g 825g 710g 900g 1070g
FEATURES
BUILD/HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
OVERALL
when it comes to distortions, colour about wins out over the Nikon 24-
fringing and vignetting. The competing 120mm, with slightly better centre
Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 only costs sharpness, reduced colour fringing and
about half the price, but matches less distortion. Differences are only
the Nikon for image quality in most subtle, however, and the Nikon has
respects. Indeed, distortions, colour slightly greater telephoto reach and
fringing and vignetting are controlled better corner sharpness.
Ready for
action
Keep pace with active subjects.
Matthew Richards reveals the
NIKON SKILLS
W
done that and got the
lens envy. Almost any
high-action event you
can think of nowadays, from
athletics to air shows, seems to
summer sports spectaculars,
fast-moving wildlife, or some
other speedy subject, the good
news is that there are some
seriously good telephoto lenses
be attended by massed ranks of on the market, at much more
professional photographers affordable prices.
wielding whopping telephoto A main concern when
lenses that cost a fortune. photographing sports and
Prime examples, so to speak, wildlife is how much telephoto
include Nikon’s recently reach you need. For the former,
ODXQFKHGÁXRULWHULFKPP \RX·OORIWHQEHFRQÀQHGWR
NIKOPEDIA
The contenders
TAMRON SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD £740, $990
SIGMA 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C £740, $990
TAMRON SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD £930, $1500
ESSENTIAL KIT
207
ESSENTIAL KIT
least expensive lenses in this test when using longer focal lengths QLFNQDPHGWKH¶%LJPD·LW·V A notable exception to the
group have telephoto reach of up RIPPRUPPDWIRU VRPHZKDWXQLTXHLQEHLQJDVRUW QHDUO\DOO]RRPOLQHXSLVWKH
WRPPHTXDWLQJWRD IUHVSHFWLYHO\ RI¶WHOHSKRWRVXSHU]RRP·ZLWK recently launched Nikon AF-S
PP¶HIIHFWLYH·IRFDOOHQJWK LWVRYHUVL]HG[]RRPUDQJH,W PPI(3)('95SULPH
on DX-format bodies. Zoom into action can be ideal if you’re at an event lens. Unlike the big-money,
For other high-speed Almost all the lenses that we’ve where you need to continually heavyweight primes that we’re
scenarios, you might be able to chosen for this round-up are switch between standard and QRWIHDWXULQJWKLVLV1LNRQ·VÀUVW
get much closer to the thrills and ]RRPOHQVHV$JDLQLI\RX·UH super-telephoto focal lengths ever F-mount lens to feature a PF
VSLOOVVRDFODVVLFPP limited to a hide, or a seat in a but, ultimately, it can feel a bit of (Phase Fresnel) element, which
]RRPOHQVPLJKWVXIÀFH$Q grandstand, and can’t move a pain using a two-kilogram lens enables a comparatively
obvious choice is Nikon’s own DERXWWKHYHUVDWLOLW\RID]RRP IRUVWDQGDUGUDQJHVKRRWLQJ,W·V compact and lightweight build.
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
ZOOM OR PRIME?
Zoom lenses offer a degree of
Top tips versatility that’s impossible to
get from a fixed focal length
lens, while super-telephoto
CONSTANT-APERTURE prime lenses also tend to be
In this type of zoom lens, the widest very expensive.
available aperture remains fixed
throughout the entire zoom range. STABILISATION
Optical stabilisation, also called
VR (Vibration Reduction) or VC
EFFECTIVE FOCAL LENGTH
ESSENTIAL KIT
(Vibration Compensation) by
DX sensors have a 1.5x crop factor, manufacturers, can be a
and only use the central region of an massive bonus when using long
FX lens’s image circle. Multiplying focal lengths for handheld or
the focal length by 1.5 gives its monopod-mounted shooting.
‘effective’ focal length relative to
shooting with an FX body.
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS
Di VC USD £740, $9990 HSM | C £7400, $990
NIKON SKILLS
IT’S BIG ON REACH, BUT AFFORDABLY SMALL IN PRICE SMART FEATURES COME AT A VERY COMPETITIVE PRICE
Dispersion) and an XLD (eXtra It’s pretty good through most of the zoom which is useful in continuous Outperforms the Tamron 150-600mm at
range but disappointing at the long end. the long end, especially at wide apertures.
Low Dispersion) element, as AF mode. The optical stabiliser
well as an optical stabiliser and includes a panning mode, while
Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better) Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
NIKOPEDIA
ring-type ultrasonic autofocus. custom modes for focusing and
(YHQPRUHVXUSULVLQJO\DWWKH Wide 1.06 Mid 0.72 Long 1.59 stabilisation can be applied via Wide 2.08 Mid 1.48 Long 1.16
price, the lens also features Quite well controlled at all focal lengths, 6LJPD·VRSWLRQDO86%'RFN Marginally more fringing in corners than
weather seals. especially in the middle of the zoom range. These are then available via a from the Tamron, at short to mid settings.
The Tamron is reasonably switch on the lens barrel.
compact for a lens with such Distortion (Nearer 0 is better) Another novel feature is that Distortion (Nearer 0 is better)
powerful telephoto reach, WIDE 1.42 WKH]RRPORFNVZLWFKFDQEH WIDE 1.39
while at less than two MID 1.52
LONG 1.47
engaged at any marked focal MID 1.4
LONG 1.41
kilograms, it’s an almost -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 OHQJWKLQWKH]RRPUDQJH -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
identical weight to the The small degree of pincushion distortion Slight pincushion distortion is present,
FRPSHWLQJ6LJPDPP remains constant at all zoom settings Performance but it’s not enough to worry about.
Contemporary-line lens. The Sigma C lens gives
VLPLODUO\TXLFNEXWQRWVXSHU
Performance Verdict fast autofocus performance as Verdict
ESSENTIAL KIT
A HIGH-QUALITY FAST TELEPHOTO ZOOM FOR LESS PLENTY OF REACH AND GOOD PERFORMANCE
Nikon lens but, in the UK at 2000 Sigma and Tamron competition. 2000
%XLOGTXDOLW\LVQ·WRIWKHVDPH 1000
HIIHFWRIDPPIRFDOOHQJWK 1000
WRSÁLJKWVWDQGDUGDVWKH1LNRQ FRPSDUHGZLWKPPLVQ·W
500 500
lens but the Tamron is robust, hugely noticeable.
and has weather seals. 0
+LJKWHFKWKULOOVLQFOXGHD 0
f/2.8 f/4-5 f/5.6-6.3 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/25-32 f/2.8 f/4-5 f/5.6-6.3 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/25-32
Telephoto reach isn’t as long as VWDELOLVHUWKDWERDVWVDVWRS
with some lenses on test, but 70mm 100mm 135mm 200mm effectiveness and comes with a 200mm 300mm 400mm 500mm
you can use teleconverters Sharpness is both good and consistent, ¶6SRUW·PRGH7KLVDSSOLHV It’s very good, and remains impressive at
especially if you narrow the aperture. the long end when using a wide aperture.
(Tamron’s UK distributor stabilisation only during the
recommends the Kenko brand). actual exposure, making it a
Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better) Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
NIKOPEDIA
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR
HSM | S £12000, $20000 £1470, $20000
NIKON SKILLS
A SIGMA ‘SPORT’ LINE LENS THAT LIVES UP TO ITS BILLING IT’S PRIME TIME – WITH A RELATIVELY FAST APERTURE
KHDYLHU,QGHHGDWDSLQFK 1000
+RZHYHULWVIDSHUWXUH 1000
under three kilograms, it’s the enables shutter speeds as fast as
500 500
heaviest lens in the group. XVLQJDPPIOHQV
0 0
+RZHYHULW·VVROLGO\EXLOWDQG ZLWKD[WHOHFRQYHUWHU,W·V
f/2.8 f/4-5 f/5.6-6.3 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/25-32 f/2.8 f/4-5 f/5.6-6.3 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/25-32
whereas the C-class Sigma has also more compact and easily
a weather-sealed mount, this 150mm 300mm 400mm 600mm PDQDJHDEOHWKDQDPP Centre Edge Corner
one has a full set of seals Does well to maintain sharpness right ISULPHOHQVDQGRQO\ Sharpness is quite consistent, but lab
through to its longest zoom setting. test scores are below average.
around the joints and switches. about a third of the price to buy.
The S-class lens builds on the $WJUDPVWKLVOHQVLVRQO\
Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better) Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
NIKOPEDIA
feature set of the C-class one, about half the weight of a
with the same multi-mode Wide 1.99 Mid 0.58 Long 1.01 PP]RRP7KHPDLQ Corner 1.88
autofocus and stabilisation There’s very little fringing, even in the reason behind the compact, Fairly minor fringing, but it’s not as well
systems and custom settings corners, throughout the zoom range. lightweight build is that it uses controlled as in some of the zoom lenses.
facilities, plus an extra top- a PF (Phase Fresnel) element,
grade FLD (Fluorite Low Distortion (Nearer 0 is better) DQGLW·VWKHÀUVW1LNRQOHQVWRGR Distortion (Nearer 0 is better)
Dispersion) element, making WIDE 0.64 so. Other attractions include an
a total of two FLD elements MID 0.73
LONG 0.95
electromagnetically controlled CORNER 0.77
THE GO-TO TELEPHOTO ZOOM FOR MANY PROS THE MODERN REINVENTION OF A CLASSIC
system gives priority to either Levels of sharpness are superb across autofocus, and uprated glass Levels of sharpness throughout the zoom
the zoom range, even wide-open at f/2.8. range are good even at wide apertures.
automatic or manual focusing, WKDWLQFOXGHVIRXU('HOHPHQWV
DQGWKH95V\VWHPIHDWXUHV SOXVD6XSHU('HOHPHQW
Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better) Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
NIKOPEDIA
SLR ADVICE
Comparison
table
HOW THE
LENSES
STACK UP TAMRON SP SIGMA 150-600mm TAMRON SP NIKON AF-S SIGMA 150-600mm NIKON AF-S 300mm NIKON AF-S NIKON AF-S
150-600mm f/5-6.3 f/5-6.3 DG OS 70-200mm f/2.8 200-500mm f/5.6E f/5-6.3 DG OS f/4E PF ED VR 70-200mm f/2.8G 80-400mm
DI VC USD HSM | C DI VC USD ED VR HSM | S ED VR II f/4.5-5.6G ED VR
www.tamron.co.uk www.sigma-global.com www.tamron.co.uk www.nikon.com www.sigma-global.com www.nikon.com
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Street price £740, $990 £740, $990 £930, $1500 £1180, $1400 £1200, $2000 £1470, $2000 £1800, $2100 £1860, $2300
Effective focal length 225-900mm 225-900mm 105-300mm 300-750mm 225-900mm 450mm 105-300mm 120-600mm
(DX)
Elements/groups 20/13 20/14 23/17 19/12 24/16 16/10 21/16 20/12
Diaphragm blades 9 blades 9 blades 9 blades 9 blades 9 blades 9 blades 9 blades 9 blades
Minimum aperture f/32 f/22 f/32 f/32 f/22 f/32 f/22 f/32-40
Optical stabiliser 4 stops 4 stops 4 stops 4.5 stops 4 stops 4.5 stops 3.5 stops 4 stops
Autofocus motor type Ultrasonic (ring-type) Ultrasonic (ring-type) Ultrasonic (ring-type) Ultrasonic (ring-type) Ultrasonic (ring-type) Ultrasonic (ring-type) Ultrasonic (ring) Ultrasonic (ring-type)
Internal zoom/focus No/Yes No/Yes Yes/Yes No/Yes No/Yes NA/Yes Yes/Yes No/Yes
Angle of view 16-4º 16-4º 34-12º 12-5º 16-4º 8º 34-12º 30-6º
(diagonal)
Min focus distance 2.7m 2.8m 1.3m 2.2m 2.6m 1.4m 1.4m 1.5m
Max magnification 0.2x 0.2x 0.13x 0.22x 0.2x 0.24x 0.12x 0.2x
Filter size 95mm 95mm 77mm 95mm 105mm 77mm 77mm 77mm
Weather seals Yes Sealed mount Yes Sealed mount Yes Sealed mount Yes Sealed mount
Included accessories Hood, tripod collar Hood, tripod collar Hood, tripod collar Hood, tripod collar, Hood, tripod collar Hood, soft case Hood, tripod collar, Hood, tripod collar,
soft case soft case pouch
Dimensions (dia x 106x258mm 105x260mm 86x197mm 108x268mm 121x290mm 89x148mm 87x206mm 96x203mm
NIKON SKILLS
length)
Weight 1951g 1930g 1470g 2300g 2860g 755g 1540g 1570g
FEATURES
BUILD/HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
OVERALL
2
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Flashes of
inspiration
Dedication is the key to
hjeasy yet effective flash
NIKON SKILLS
1
photography. Matthew
Richards reveals the best
Nikon-fit buys
ot just there for life’s
N
EHDPLQJVXQVXFFHVVIXOÁDVK
darker moments, a SKRWRJUDSK\LVDOODERXW
ÁDVKJXQFDQPDNHD FUHDWLQJDEDODQFH
PDVVLYHGLIIHUHQFHWR 7U\LQJWRZRUNRXWKRZ
WKHTXDOLW\RIOLJKWLQJHYHQ PXFKÁDVKSRZHU\RXQHHGLQ
under the midday sun. Indeed, DQ\JLYHQVLWXDWLRQXVHGWR
WKH\·UHSDUWLFXODUO\XVHIXOIRU demand some mental (and
VRIWHQLQJRUHOLPLQDWLQJ VRPHWLPHVPDGGHQLQJ
XQVLJKWO\VKDGRZVLQVXQQ\ DULWKPHWLF1RZDGD\VWKDQNV
NIKOPEDIA
THE CONTENDERS
1 Gloxy GX-F990 N TTL £130, $200
2 Metz mecablitz 52 AF-1 Digital £180, $320
ESSENTIAL KIT
215
4
7
5
UHJXODU77/ÁDVKPHWHULQJWKLV
WDNHVPRUHDFFRXQWRIDPELHQW
EHFRPHVYHU\PXFKELJJHU7KLV
JHQHUDWHVDPXFKVRIWHUTXDOLW\
ODZKHUHFRPHVWKDWPDWKV
DJDLQZKLFKEDVLFDOO\PHDQV Jargon buster
OLJKWLQJOHYHOV,QGHHG77/%/ RIOLJKWWKDW·VPXFKPRUH WKDWLI\RXGRXEOHWKHGLVWDQFH
LVWKHGHIDXOWÁDVKPRGHIRU ÁDWWHULQJIRUSRUWUDLWXUH \RXRQO\JHWDTXDUWHURIWKH GUIDE NUMBER (GN)
PRVWRI1LNRQ·VUHFHQW <RXFDQDOVRJHWPXFKEHWWHU OLJKW<RXFDQWKHUHIRUHÀQG This is a measurement of flash
\RXUÁDVKJXQFRPLQJXSVKRUW power, usually quoted in metres at
ÁDVKJXQVDQGLVDYDLODEOHLQDOO UHVXOWVE\XVLQJ\RXUÁDVKJXQ
ISO100. Dividing the Gn by the
PRGHOVLQWKLVJURXSDSDUWIURP RIIFDPHUD7KHWUDGLWLRQDOZD\ RQDYDLODEOHSRZHULI\RXWU\WR
aperture value gives the distance
WKH*OR[\DQG3KRWWL[ZKLFK WRGRWKLVLVWRXVHDÁDVK ERXQFHWKHOLJKWWRRIDU
the light will reach and still
RQO\JLYHWKHRSWLRQIRUUHJXODU H[WHQVLRQFRUGZKLFKOLQNVWKH )RUGLUHFWÁDVKDWOHDVWDOO
Illuminate the subject sufficently. At
77/PHWHULQJ ÁDVKJXQWRWKHFDPHUD·VKRWVKRH WKHÁDVKJXQVRQWHVWDSDUWIURP
ISO100 a flash with a Gn of 60 will be
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
EQUIPMENT KNOW-HOW
NIKON SKILLS
On the bounce
FEATURES TO LOOK FOR… A bounce range of between 0 and 90 degrees
Get all the power and clever tricks (horizontal to vertical) is usually available,
you need for flash photography and some flashguns add a -7 or -9 degree
downward-slanting option for close-ups.
Heads up
Many flashguns have a wide-angle
diffuser panel to spread coverage
when using ultra-wide angle lenses,
and a reflector card for directing some
light forwards in upright bounce mode
NIKOPEDIA
Light tube
The flash tube fires a very bright
pulse of light for a split second.
The maximum available output
is quoted as a Guide number
(see Jargon Buster, above).
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
STEP BY STEP Bouncing and beyond
Bounce and swivel aren’t the only ways to be more flash
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
01 Straight on 02 Bounce mode 03 Off-camera
With the flashgun mounted in the camera’s Bouncing the flash off the ceiling has produced For this final shot, we used the flash off-camera,
hotshoe and the flash tube aimed straight ahead a much softer and more natural-looking lighting connecting to the hotshoe via a coiled cable. We
at the subject, images tend to look rather flat effect. The dark shadows on the wall have been positioned the flashgun slightly higher and to one
and two-dimensional. There aren’t really any banished, and there are some subtle shadows side of the flowers, and we added a diffusion
subtle shadows to give modelling, while the creeping in under the leaves to give a more dome to give some softened but direct light,
shadows behind the flowers are very dark. three-dimensional look. while also bouncing light off the ceiling.
10 things we learned…
NIKON SKILLS
HOW WE TESTED
There are lots of trick modes available in the Nikon
flash system, and a few more tricks on the side REAL WORLD MEETS LAB
We looked for the distance each flash could
cover, as well as how smartly it performed
1 On the button 5 Auto FP ■ All functions, features and firing We also checked for flash
1RWMXVWIRUUDLVLQJWKH 7KLVLVD¶KLJKVSHHG
modes of the flashguns were tested. exposure accuracy, using TTL rather
SRSXSÁDVKWKHÁDVKEXWWRQ V\QF·ÁDVKPRGHZKLFKHQDEOHV
To check output power, each than TTL-BL (Balanced fill-flash)
DOVRHQDEOHV\RXWRVHOHFW WKHÁDVKJXQWREHXVHGDWIDVW
flashgun was fired at each setting mode. For this, we photographed a
GLIIHUHQWÁDVKPRGHVXVLQJ VKXWWHUVSHHGVDOEHLWZLWKD
throughout its entire range of neutral grey card, which should
HLWKHUWKHSRSXSÁDVKRUDQ ORZHUPD[LPXPÁDVKSRZHU
manual settings. This was repeated produce a spike at the centre of the
H[WHUQDOÁDVKJXQ EHLQJDYDLODEOH
at zoom settings of 24mm, 50mm histogram, and then calculated the
and 105mm (FX), where available. amount of over- or under-exposure
2 Red-eye reduction 6 Repeating flash A flash meter was used at a distance in +/-EV (Exposure Value) steps.
7KLVXVHVDEXUVWRI $YDLODEOHLQVRPH
NIKOPEDIA
of one metre, and the resulting light Finally, we measured the recycle
SUHÁDVKOLJKWWRQDUURZWKH ÁDVKJXQVDVZHOODVWKHSRSXS
readings were then converted to speed after a full-power flash,
SXSLOVRI\RXUVXEMHFWZKLFK ÁDVKRIVRPHXSPDUNHW'6/5V
give a Gn number at ISO100, using both alkaline and NiMH
ZLOOUHGXFHRUHOLPLQDWHWKH WKLVSURJUDPPDEOHPRGHJLYHV
measured in metres. batteries.
UHGH\HHIIHFWWKDWFDQVSRLO DVWURERVFRSLFHIIHFWGXULQJ
ÁDVKOLWSRUWUDLWV ORQJH[SRVXUHV
Boasts some clever features at a great price Features an intuitive and very handy touchscreen
7KH*OR[\LVDGLVDUPLQJO\ 7KLV0HW]ÁDVKJXQORRNVSUHWW\
POWER OUTPUT POWER OUTPUT
LQH[SHQVLYHÁDVKJXQ\HWKDVDQ 50
EDVLFIURPWKHUHDUEXWGRQ·WOHW 50
LPSUHVVLYHUDQJHRIDGYDQFHG 45 WKDWIRRO\RX,QVWHDGRIIHDWXULQJ 45
40 40
IHDWXUHVLQFOXGLQJDQPPWR 35 ORWVRIEXWWRQVWKDWFRXOGEHKDUGWR 35
PPPRWRULVHG]RRPKHDGDQG 30
25
use or even to see in the dark, the 30
25
SURJUDPPDEOHUHSHDWPRGH²WKH 20 0HW]KDVDWRXFKVFUHHQ<RXFDQ 20
15 15
ODWWHUEHLQJSUDFWLFDOO\XQKHDUGRI 10 WKHUHIRUHVLPSO\SRNH\RXUZD\ 10
5 5
LQVXFKD¶EXGJHW·ÁDVKJXQ7KH 0
DURXQGWKHÁDVKJXQ·VH[WHQVLYH 0
XVXDOUHPRWHPRXQWLQJVWDQGDQG Full 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/128 1/256 PHQXPDNLQJLWTXLFNDQGHDV\WR Full 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/128 1/256
SDQHOLVORJLFDODQGHDV\WRXVH -0.33
GLIIXVHUDQGDUHÁHFWRUFDUG$V 0.5
%XLOGTXDOLW\IHHOVJRRGWRR7KH -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 WKLVLVDUHDVRQDEO\ORZEXGJHW -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1
only real disappointment is that In our tests, TTL flash consistently RSWLRQLWODFNVWKH*OR[\·V When it comes to TTL flash metering,
WKHUH·VQRZLUHOHVVPDVWHURUVODYH under-exposed by about a third of a stop. SURJUDPPDEOHVWURERVFRSLFPRGH it tends to give overly bright results.
PRGHVR77/PHWHULQJLVQ·W EXWLWGRHVIHDWXUHIXOOZLUHOHVV
DYDLODEOHLIWKHÁDVKLVWDNHQ RECYCLE SPEED PDVWHUDQGVODYHIXQFWLRQVZKLFK RECYCLE SPEED
RIIFDPHUD7KHUHLVDPRUHEDVLF NiMH
DUHFRPSDWLEOHZLWK1LNRQ·V NiMH
RSWLFDOVODYHPRGHZKLFKVHQVHV Alkaline &UHDWLYH/LJKWLQJ6\VWHP Alkaline
WKHRXWSXWIURPDSRSXSÁDVKRU 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
DQRWKHUÁDVKDQGÀUHVWKHÁDVKDW The Gloxy is no slouch, matching some Performance With NiMH batteries, recycling is
of the fastest guns in the group. among the slowest in the group.
WKHSRZHUWKDW·VEHHQVHWPDQXDOO\ $VZLWKWKH*OR[\WKHPD[LPXP
SRZHURXWSXWRIWKHPHFDEOLW]
Performance IHOOVRPHZD\VKRUWRILWVTXRWHG
,QRXUODEWHVWVUHF\FOHVSHHGV Verdict *XLGHQXPEHURIDQGWKLVWLPH Verdict
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Nikon SB-500 Speedlight Nissin Di866 MKII Professional
£195, $250 £200, $315
NIKON SKILLS
Basic, but with the bonus of a constant light Relatively inexpensive for a ‘pro’ flashgun
4XLWHDEDUHERQHVDIIDLUWKH 3URIHVVLRQDOE\QDPHWKH1LVVLQLV
POWER OUTPUT POWER OUTPUT
6%LVWKHRQO\ÁDVKJXQLQWKH 50
PRVWO\SURIHVVLRQDOE\QDWXUHDV 50
JURXSWRODFNERWKDQ/&'LQIR 45 ZHOO,WKDVDIXOOVHWRIDGYDQFHG 45
40 40
VFUHHQDQGD]RRPIHDWXUHKHQFH 35 ÁDVKPRGHVLQFOXGLQJ 35
30 30
WKHVLQJOHOLQHLQWKHJUDSKRQWKH 25
SURJUDPPDEOHUHSHDWDV\QF 25
ULJKW,WDOVRKDVDUHODWLYHO\ORZ 20 WHUPLQDOH[WHUQDOEDWWHU\SDFN 20
15 15
*QDQGUXQVRQMXVWWZR$$ 10 VRFNHWVROLGEXLOGTXDOLW\DQG 10
5 5
EDWWHULHVLQVWHDGRIWKHXVXDOIRXU 0
VRPHVPDUWH[WUDV)RUH[DPSOH 0
3UHWW\PXFKDOODGMXVWPHQWVQHHG Full 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/128 1/256 LW·VWKHRQO\ÁDVKJXQWRPDWFKWKH Full 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/128 1/256
NIKOPEDIA
2QHSRVLWLYHLVWKDWWKH6%LV O
URWDWHVDXWRPDWLFDOO\GHSHQGLQJ -0.83
WKHRQO\ÁDVKJXQLQWKHJURXSWR -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 RQZKHWKHU\RX·UHVKRRWLQJLQ -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1
IHDWXUHDFRQVWDQW/('OLJKWDVZHOO Performance is impressive, the SB-500 ODQGVFDSHRUSRUWUDLWRULHQWDWLRQ Under-exposure is the norm for TTL
DVDÁDVK7KLVLVJRRGQHZVLI\RX delivering reliable, consistent exposures. $V\RX·GH[SHFWWKH1LVVLQDOVR metering, usually by nearly a full stop.
VSHQGDORWRIWLPHVKRRWLQJ VXSSRUWVIXOOZLUHOHVVPDVWHUVODYH
FORVHXSVWLOOVDQGPRYLHV,QÁDVK RECYCLE SPEED IXQFWLRQV&RPSDUHGZLWKRWKHU RECYCLE SPEED
PRGH\RXFDQXVHWKH6%LQ NiMH
¶SUR·ÁDVKJXQVWKHPRWRULVHG NiMH
ZLUHOHVVVODYHPRGH&KDQQHO Alkaline ]RRPKDVDUHODWLYHO\OLPLWHGUDQJH Alkaline
RQO\RUDVDZLUHOHVVFRPPDQGHU 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
RIPPWRPPEXWWKH 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
3 8
EXWRQO\ZLWK1LNRQ·VODWHVW' With only two batteries, recycling PD[LPXPSRZHUUDWLQJRI*Q With NiMH batteries, it is one of the
speed is the slowest in the group. slowest flashguns on test to recycle.
''DQG'FDPHUDV looks impressive, at least on paper.
Performance Performance
'HVSLWHLWVPRGHVWSRZHUUDWLQJLQ Verdict ,QRXUWHVWVWKHPD[LPXPSRZHU Verdict
ESSENTIAL KIT
*QLVVLJQLÀFDQWO\ORZHUWKDQLQ 0
8QOLNHZLWKRWKHUÁDVKJXQVRQ 0.16
VRPHRWKHUÁDVKJXQVRQWHVWEXW -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 WHVWÁDVKRXWSXWFDQEHDGMXVWHG -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1
ZH·OOFRPHEDFNWRWKDWODWHU Excellent accuracy and consistency GRZQWRWKLQVWHDGRI Impressively consistent and reliable,
&RQVLGHULQJWKHOHYHORI are delivered by TTL flash metering. WKZKLFKFDQEHKHOSIXO if ever-so-slightly on the bright side.
VRSKLVWLFDWLRQLQPRVWDUHDVLW·V ZKHQXVLQJZLGHDSHUWXUHVDWFORVH
VXUSULVLQJWKDW\RXVWLOOQHHGWR RECYCLE SPEED UDQJH$QHDWH[WUDIHDWXUH RECYCLE SPEED
VHOHFWWKHKRVWFDPHUD·VVSRW NiMH
PDWFKHGRQO\E\WKH1LVVLQLVD NiMH
PHWHULQJIXQFWLRQWRHQDEOH77/ Alkaline VHFRQGDU\ÁDVKWXEHZKLFKLV Alkaline
LQVWHDGRI77/%/ÁDVKPRGH/HVV 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
JUHDWIRUDGGLQJDOLWWOHGLUHFWÁDVK 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
VXUSULVLQJJLYHQWKHUHODWLYHO\ Using NiMH batteries, it had the fastest ZKHQ\RX·UHXVLQJWKHPDLQÁDVK It’s quick with NiMH batteries, but
recycle speed of any flashgun on test. you’re in for a wait if you use alkaline
LQH[SHQVLYHSULFHWDJLVWKDW KHDGLQERXQFHRUVZLYHOPRGH
WKHUH·VQR¶UHSHDW·ÁDVKPRGH
Performance
Performance Verdict 5HF\FOLQJVSHHGVZHUHEHWWHUWKDQ Verdict
ESSENTIAL KIT
SLR ADVICE
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
Phottix Mitros+ TTL Transceiver Nikon SB-910 Speedlight
£330, $400 £340, $545
NIKON SKILLS
A solid on- and off-camera flashgun Nikon’s range-topping pro-spec flashgun
7KHUH·VSOHQW\WRJHWH[FLWHGDERXW 1LNRQ·VWRSÁLJKWÁDVKJXQXQWLOWKH
POWER OUTPUT POWER OUTPUT
LQWKLVÁDVKJXQZLWKLWVKLJKHQG 50
DUULYDORIWKH6%WKH6% 50
IHDWXUHVWKDWLQFOXGHDIXOOUDQJHRI 45 LQFOXGHVDOORIWKH6%·VIHDWXUHV 45
40 40
ÁDVKPRGHV²SURJUDPPDEOH 35 like its three illumination patterns 35
30 30
UHSHDWDPRQJWKHP%XLOGTXDOLW\ 25
VWDQGDUGHYHQDQGFHQWUH 25
LVH[FHOOHQWSURJUDGHDGGLWLRQV 20 ZHLJKWHGDQGDYLVXDOLQGLFDWRURQ 20
15 15
LQFOXGHDV\QFWHUPLQDODQG 10 WKH/&'VFUHHQIRUÁDVKWXEH 10
5 5
H[WHUQDOSRZHUVRFNHWVDQGWKH 0
WHPSHUDWXUH,WDOVRFRPHVZLWKWKH 0
ÁDVKJXQFRPHVZLWKDGLIIXVLRQ Full 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/128 1/256 VDPHH[WUDVLQFOXGLQJDGLIIXVLRQ Full 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/128 1/256
NIKOPEDIA
:LUHOHVVFRQQHFWLYLW\JHWVDUHDO 0.83
RSWLRQDOH[WHUQDOEDWWHU\SDFN -0.16
ERRVWZLWKWKHLQFOXVLRQRID -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 JUHDWHURXWSXWSRZHUDQGD -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1
EXLOWLQ5)5DGLR)UHTXHQF\77/ Nearly an stop of over-exposure is the SURJUDPPDEOHUHSHDWPRGH7KH Our tests found there’s just a hint of
WUDQVFHLYHU7KLVHQDEOHVUHPRWH norm, so dial in negative compensation. PRWRULVHG]RRPKDVDUDQJHRI under-exposure in TTL flash metering.
WULJJHULQJRIPXOWLSOHPDVWHUDQG PPWRPP7KH6%LV
VODYHÁDVKJXQVZLWKRXWWKHQHHG RECYCLE SPEED ODUJHUDQGKHDYLHUWKDQWKH6% RECYCLE SPEED
IRUD¶OLQHRIVLJKW·RSWLFDOSDWK7KH NiMH
EXWWKHVWDQGDUGRIEXLOGTXDOLW\ NiMH
FRQWUROSDQHOLVDOVRHDV\WRXVH Alkaline IHHOVYHU\VLPLODU7KHFRQWUROSDQHO Alkaline
WKDQNVWRDIRXUZD\SDG 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
XVHVDVHWRIFRQWH[WVHQVLWLYH 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
WKDW·VSDUWLFXODUO\LQWXLWLYH Average when using NiMH batteries; EXWWRQVIRULQWXLWLYHDGMXVWPHQWVRI The recycling speed is quick, but it’s not
slower than most with alkaline. as fast as in the lower-powered SB-700.
PRGHVLQFOXGLQJHDV\VZLWFKLQJ
Performance EHWZHHQ77/DQG77/%/PRGHV
7KH3KRWWL[LVRQHRIWKHPRVW
SRZHUIXOÁDVKJXQVLQWKHJURXSEXW Verdict Performance Verdict
ESSENTIAL KIT
COMPARISON TABLE
HOW THE
FLASHGUNS
STACK UP
NAME Gloxy GX-F990 N TTL Metz mecablitz Nikon Speedlight Nissin Di866 Mk II Nikon Speedlight Metz mecablitz Phottix Mitros+ Nikon Speedlight
52 AF-1 SB-500 Professional SB-700 64 AF-1 TTL Transceiver SB-910
WEBSITE www.photo24.co.uk www.metzflash.co.uk www.nikon.com www.nissindigital.com www.nikon.com www.metzflash.co.uk www.phottix.co.uk www.nikon.com
TARGET PRICE £130, $200 £180, $320 £195, $250 £200, $315 £230, $325 £300, $480 £330, $400 £340, $545
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT 75x148x105mm, 340g 73x134x90mm, 346g 67x115x71mm, 226g 74x139x113mm, 380g 71x126x105mm, 360g 78x148x112mm, 422g 78x147x103mm, 427g 79x145x113mm, 420g
FEATURES
BUILD QUALITY
IMAGE QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
OVERALL
RXUDEVROXWHIDYRXULWHNQRFNLQJWKH6%
What’s bad Some may prefer traditional buttons
LQWRVHFRQGSODFH What’s good Smart range of advanced
and dials to a touchscreen.
$KLJKOLJKWRIWKH3KRWWL[0LWURVLVLWV flash modes including programmable repeat.
Our verdict A highly advanced flashgun that’s both
H[FHOOHQWEXLOWLQ5DGLR)UHTXHQF\WULJJHULQJ What’s bad No wireless master/slave
feature- and power-packed – and easy to use.
V\VWHPDQGZH·UHDOVRIDQVRIWKHIHDWXUH functions, just a basic optical slave.
ULFK1LVVLQ'L0N,,3URIHVVLRQDO OVERALL Our verdict Good performance and a wide
+RZHYHUERWKRIWKHPVXIIHUIURP range of features at a rock-bottom price.
E-LEARNING
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