48hr

Landscapes
Plan, shoot, edit:
How to make the
most of your
weekend
Helping you to be a better photographer AUTUMN 2015

209
Inspirational
photo ideas
● Get great shots whatever your subject
● Packed with must-try techniques
● Expert tips and advice
Lightroom
masterclass
Discover the power of Lightroom
in our comprehensive guide

PORTRAITS WILDLIFE TRAVEL LANDSCAPE

Use gel lighting and Find out the secrets Indispensible advice How early morning
creative distortion for to capturing Little from globetrotting light can transform
unique results Owls and Swallows photographers your garden photos

PLUS
Best of British • Infrared landscapes • Shooting stairs
creatively • The 10 commandments of street
• Perfect weddings • Foxes • Creative Photoshop
 I currently work
as a touring technician
and spend a lot of time
traveling around the
world with various acts.
OCA’s structure
allows me to study
anywhere, which for
me is fantastic. Once
on the course I received
an incredible level of
support from my OCA
tutors. This is what
makes OCA for me.
The tutors go that extra
mile knowing working
and distance learning
can be a struggle. They
fnd time to encourage,
motivate and stimulate
which when studying
remotely is invaluable.

Ozzie Henderson
Photography student

Live | Learn | Create

Contemporary courses you can study
from home

Open College of the Arts

0800 731 2116
oca.ac.uk
 Welcome
WELCOME TO PHOTO TECHNIQUE , a magazine created by photographers for
THE TEAM
GROUP EDITOR: Nigel Atherton
EDITOR: Phil Hall
DESIGN: Simon Warren
PRODUCTION: Jacky Porter
CONTRIBUTORS: Richard Sibley, Oliver Atwell,
photographers who want to refine their skills, be inspired by stunning Michael Topham, Andy Westlake, Callum
images and take better images. McInerney-Riley, Jon Stapley, Martin Evening
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Alex Robb
In this issue we’ve managed to cram a whole load of features in for you. If MARKETING MANAGER: Samantha Blakey
ONLINE MANAGER: Karen Sheard
you’re stuck for inspiration, then we’ve got stacks of expert advice on what ADVERTISING: Felix Barlow, Simon Gerard
you should be shooting now. And once you’re back home, why not take the
CONTACT: phototechnique@timeinc.com
time to get to grips with Photoshop Lightroom? Adobe’s powerful imaging TWITTER: @phototechniq
software will transform your workflow and we’ve got a comprehensive guide Cover image by Mark Bauer (www.markbauerphotography.com)

starting on page 89. Amateur Photographer™ is a trademark of Time Inc. (UK) Ltd

That’s not forgetting a host of other exciting techniques you can try, © 2015 Time Inc. (UK) Ltd ISSN No. 0002-6840

What Digital Camera™ is a trademark of Time Inc. (UK) Ltd

including how to maximise shooting over a weekend, travel tips,tips © 2015 Time Inc. (UK) Ltd ISSN No. 1366-5324

Photo Technique is a Focus Network title, published by Time Inc. (UK) Ltd,
capturing weddings creatively, using gels for unique portraits and
an Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU

shooting on the street. Enjoy the issue.

© JEREMY WALKER

EDITOR PHIL HALL

3
 c o n t e n t s

Contents
Camera skills
Master your camera and enhance
the images you take
8 26 things to shoot now top tips and
must-try techniques
22 Best of British some of the best entries
from the British Life Photography Awards

landsCapes
shoot the land creatively
28 Maximise your weekend Plan, shoot, edit
and share a landscape portfolio in a weekend
34 Infrared landscapes take a different look
at the landscape around you
40 Into the light see how early morning light
can transform your garden pictures

nature
Refne your skills for shooting out in the wild
46 Fox hunt often approachable, foxes can
make fantastic subjects to photograph
52 Wildlife watch How to shoot Little owls
and swallows

travel
essential advice when you’re on the move
56 10 travel commandments expert tips for
achieving memorable images on the road p8 26 things to shoot now
portraits
Achieve stunning people shots
62 Creative coupling How to capture the
magic of the big day
67 Creative distortion How to get your
portraits noticed
72 Back in fashion Using gel lighting

street
Must-have advice for the city streets
p40 into the light
82 10 street commandments Insight on
how to get the best results when shooting
on the street

image editing
Inspiration, advice and help
89 Master Lightroom In our comprehensive
guide to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
104 Creative Photoshop Use the displace
flter to create refections
p56 travel commandments
4
 P72 GEL LIGHTING P28 48HR LANDSCAPES

P46 FOX HUNT P82 STREET COMMANDMENTS

5
 i n s p i r e

ToTal Solar EclipSE

rEmy and rEbEcca HoEHEnEr
regardless of how many astronomy pictures you see, each and every
one is capable of offering something absolutely overwhelming. This
image is a composite intended to visualise how the eclipse progressed
over two hours and was taken as part of a two-hour photo session in
the Faroe islands – one of only two populated locations to experience
it totally. This was remy and his daughter rebecca’s frst attempt at
shooting a solar eclipse, and to do so they’d prepared for over a year.

To see all of this year’s winning entries and to fnd out about
how to enter next year’s competition, visit www.rmg.co.uk

6
7
 C A M E R A S K I L L S
26 things to
shoot now
Our experts give you their top tips
and must-try techniques to put into
practice over the coming months
1 SHOOT POPPY FIELDS
MARK BAUER
Poppies flower annually, usually in
summer, but rarely in the same place
two years running, so you need to put
in some effort to find a good spot.
They usually grow on private
farmland, so you need to either obtain
permission from the landowner or
shoot from the side of the road.
Although you can go for motion
blur on a windy day, poppies are best
photographed in still conditions.
Warm early morning or evening light
enhances their natural vibrancy, as will
a polariser. Sunrise is probably best, as
there tends to be less wind. If you’re
lucky, there may be some mist in the
8
background to add atmosphere. A large amount of red in the frame can
A wideangle lens can emphasise the lead to exposure problems, so review
images using the RGB histogram
size of the field and allow you to get
close to individual flowers. A small
aperture and focusing a third of the
way into the scene will maximise depth
of field. Alternatively, the ‘perspective
compression’ of a telephoto lens can
create the impression of a thick carpet
of flowers. A long lens and narrow
depth of field can also be used to
isolate poppies.
So much red in the frame can cause
exposure problems; the red channel
can oversaturate, causing lost detail.
Review images using the RGB
histogram and pull back the exposure
if the red channel is blown.

2 DON’T GO
BEFORE THE GLOW
MARK BAUER
Summer’s long days mean very
early starts and late finishes for
landscape photographers. At the
end of a tiring day it can be
tempting to pack your kit away as
Twilight lasts longer
in the summer and it
pays to make full use
of the sun’s afterglow
In terms of technique, you’ll
need to pay attention to exposure.
People often assume that contrast
is low after the sun has set, but it
can be surprisingly high, as the
sky is lit from below, but there is
no direct light falling on the land.
Therefore, you’ll often either need
3 MISTY MORNINGS JEREMY WALKER
Misty mornings are a bit of a holy grail for me. They
add mood and drama to landscape images and give
a visual boost. An early start is always painful, but
being greeted with the sun rising over a calm, still
landscape shrouded in mist is worth getting up for.
You need a good alarm clock, and to be organised.
Pack your bag the night before and even sort out
what you will wear. Research your location, know
your vantage points, where the sun will rise and be
ready at least 30 minutes before sunrise as often the
light can be good when the sun is just below the
horizon. If possible, try to shoot into the light. Mist
that is backlit glows and has more life to it. Some-
times mist will hang around, but it can disappear
quickly, so have alternate locations in mind.

soon as the sun dips below the
horizon. However, if you resist
this temptation you could end up
with your best pictures of the day.
Twilight lasts longer in
summer, so you can continue
shooting for longer after sunset
and it’s often the most photogenic
time of day. The strongest colour
often occurs after the sun has set
– sometimes as long as 20 or 30
minutes – as a warm ‘afterglow’
spreads across the sky. If shooting
near water, any reflections will
double the impact of the colour.
Even after the strongest colour
has gone, the light remains
© JEREMY WALKER
to use graduated filters, or bracket
your exposures and blend them
in post-processing. As the light
drops and exposure times get
longer, switch to bulb mode so
you can lock the shutter open for
the desired length of time. It will
be getting darker while the
shutter is open, so allow an extra
1/2 to 1 stop of exposure above
what you have calculated.
Compositionally, make the
most of the colour by getting in
close to reflections and look
for interesting shapes for
foreground interest, or those that
can be silhouetted against a Backlit mist can add
drama to your shots, so it’s
© MARK BAUER

photogenic for a long time. colourful sky. well worth getting up early for

4 HARVEST
© JEREMY WALKER

machinery adds a splash of

JEREMY WALKER colour. Get up high and look
Golden fields being harvested, down, or go for the worm’s-eye
round bales of straw and fruit view looking up through the
trees weighed down – harvest crops or fruit trees. Try using
time offers great image long lenses into the light with
opportunities. Get permission tractors and combines silhou-
from the landowner if you want etted in their own dust.
to venture onto a farm. They Wideangle lenses will work well
can be dangerous places and, close-in on fruit crops and
even when on a public footpath, orchards. If you have no access
don’t forget that farmers will be to the countryside, look out for
concentrating on their job, not local allotments, but again get
looking out for photographers. permission. Even an apple tree
Harvesting allows for images in your garden or a bramble can
with a strong sense of shape and be a good subject given the right
© MARK BAUER

design. Bold lines dominate the light. The harvest won’t last
fields and orchards, and long, so take advantage of it.
9
 c a m e r a s k i l l s

5 Lavender have been harvested already.

adam Burton
While southern France is the place
most associated with lavender, there
are several farms in the UK that are
ideal for photography.
These farms are, of course, private
businesses, and permission needs to be
gained whenever venturing onto
private land. For a small fee some
lavender farms open their doors to
allow the public in during the
fowering months in early summer.
However, this probably means you are
restricted to shooting from 9am to
5pm, when the light can be harsh.
Luckily, some farms have footpaths
running alongside the lavender,
making photography easily achievable
at any time from sunrise to sunset.
The key to shooting a lavender
feld is timing. A visit just a few weeks
early and the lavender will still be
green. Too late, and the lavender may
With intense colour and beautiful
receding diagonal lines, lavender is best
shot with a mid-range zoom. If you
shoot too wide, you’ll be looking down
over the lavender plants in the
immediate foreground and their
purple colour will be lost amid the
green stems. By shooting slightly
further with a mid-range zoom, the
lavender will appear more colourful
and intense.
It’s worth spending some time
looking for areas of lavender that are
free from weeds, grasses and other
plants. Alternatively, actively seek out a
secondary object to break up the
pattern of the lavender. Like most
subjects, shooting lavender beneath a
colourful sunrise or sunset sky
can yield rich results. I prefer to shoot Lavender is best shot with a
when the sun is low in the sky mid-range zoom to maximise the
plant’s colour and to enhance any
providing rich side-lighting to the
receding lines
delicate fowers.

Circular bales are a challenge and 6 BaLes
shooting too wide can adam Burton
be a problem. It may be better Rolling countryside makes an
to ft a mid-range lens
idyllic subject for landscape
photography, but it can be
surprisingly diffcult to shoot.
With a lack of available
foreground interest, wideangle
landscapes can be left lacking
any sense of depth. However,
this all changes with the arrival
of summer, especially after
crops have been harvested.
During summer farmers are
busy putting together straw
bales, sometimes rectangular,
often circular and occasionally
collected together as traditional
stooks. Whichever process is
used, the end result always
leaves a feast for the eyes.
Where I live in Devon, I
most often encounter circular
bales and stooks. Being the
most unusual, stooks possibly
make the most enticing
subjects. Each stook is piled
into a triangular stack and left
© adam burton
series of leading lines to help
draw viewers’ eyes.
Look for a series of stooks in
close proximity to each other,
and fnd lines with interesting
curves. Shoot with a wideangle
lens to accentuate the nearest
stooks and exaggerate the
depth in the scene.
Circular bales are usually
more of a challenge. Farmers
tend to drop these bales in a
more haphazard way, so extra
care is required to fnd a good
balance within the picture. As
circular bales are large,
shooting too wide can be
problematic. The bale can
appear huge and any nearby
bales can seem lost in the
distance. I fnd it better to ft a
mid-range lens, and zoom into
bales slightly further away.
Whichever you decide to
shoot, light is always a key
consideration. This kind of
subject always looks its best in
rich, low side-lighting, so head

in long lines meandering over out to capture your pictures

felds. The result offers you a early morning or late evening.
10
 7 SHOOT INFRARED
© ADAM BURTON
JUSTIN MINNS
Summer for us landscape
photographers means crawling
out of bed in the wee small
hours to catch the dawn light
or staying out equally late to
see the sun go down. In
between, the sun is too harsh
and flat for most landscape
photography. But infrared
photography is at its most
effective on bright sunny days.
Infrared photography involves
blocking out visible light and
allowing certain wavelengths of
infrared light to hit the
camera’s sensor. In digital
photography this is done either
by using a lens filter (such as
Heather doesn’t photograph
well in harsh sunlight. The colours show
up much better when the sun is hidden
behind cloud or near the horizon
Infrared photography is at its
© JUSTIN MINNS
most effective on bright
sunny days
8 HEATHER-CLAD
MOORS
COLIN ROBERTS
Moorlands can be bleak places, have a variety of subjects to use
especially in winter. But it is as focal points. Try using
transformed during summer
when the heathers come into
bloom. Heather doesn’t
photograph well in harsh
sunlight, so avoid shooting
when the sun is high in the sky. with the heather. Silver birch
The pinky-mauve hues show
up much better when the sun is common, and these shapely
near the horizon, or hidden
behind cloud, as these
conditions keep contrast to a
minimum, and allow colour
and detail to be more clearly
seen. Moisture also helps
© COLIN ROBERTS
enrich the scene, bringing out
the orange tones of moorland
the Hoya R72) or by converting
a camera body into a dedicated
infrared camera. The former is
much cheaper, but the dark
filter means exposure times are
often 30 seconds-plus; whereas
converted cameras are no
different in use to a standard
body. Whichever method you
decide to use, shoot in raw and
with surprisingly little
processing the result will be
stunning mono images, full of
impact with an otherworldly
feel to them. Fresh greens are
rendered white, blue skies
become almost black and the
whole image pops with depth
and contrast not always visible
to the naked eye.
grasses, so it pays to exploit the
after-effect of rain if possible.
Some tracts of moorland
bracken ferns as foreground
interest – they spring up
randomly across the moor and
their pale green fronds make
for an eye-catching contrast
and Scots pine are also
trees can be used to break the
monotony of the horizon.
Watch out as well for isolated
moorland pools – even very
small ones can be made to fill
the foreground if you use a
wideangle lens to exaggerate
the perspective.
11
 c a m e r a s k i l l s

9 PhotograPh

© adam duckworth
PeoPle doing
their hobby
adam duckworth
When the weather gets warmer
and the days are longer, many
people take the chance to get
stuck into their hobbies.
Whether riding bicycles, going
fshing or taking a spin in a car
that they’ve spent the winter
restoring, everyone loves a great
picture showing them enjoying
their chosen interest.
It’s a prime opportunity to
capture a portrait that shows
more than just what a person
looks like. It’s a chance to show
what they’re interested in.
Ask around your friends and
family and chances are you’ll
discover someone with a
fascinating pastime. If that fails,
look around for events in your
local area where you’ll fnd lots
of potential subjects.
The key to a decent portrait
is to get the person in the right
clothing and put them in a
location that works for their
hobby. You probably wouldn’t
want to shoot a surfer in a city
centre, but that’s exactly where
you’d want to photograph a
death-defying parkour runner.
Capture your
sitter in his natural
environment with the
tools of his trade
If there’s an obvious item of
equipment that the subject
uses, include that as well – such
as a skateboard, bicycle, boat or
radio-controlled car.
Avoid simply plonking the
person behind or next to their
bit of kit, smiling into the lens.
Instead, try to get them to relax
and look as natural as possible.
Use a variety of viewpoints and
lenses – from wideangles that
show off the environment to
longer telephoto lenses that can
target the subject while
throwing the background out
of focus. Get the subject to look
at the camera in some shots,
and off-camera in others.
Midday sun is best avoided as
it’s contrasty and not fattering.
Try shooting at the start or end
of the day, or even night-time.
The use of refectors or
off-camera fash can transform
a scene, too.
Remember that the devil is in
the detail. Look around the
edges of the frame to make sure
there’s nothing creeping into
the shot. Make sure the pose,
location, kit and clothing suit
the subject and you’ve thought
about composition and
lighting. And have fun!

10 Shoot a film Portrait

matt oSborne
Dust down your old flm camera (or treat yourself to a used
bargain). Professional colour flms such as Kodak Portra or
Fujiflm Pro 400H capture natural-looking skin tones and
you can get away with overexposing them. Remember to set
exposure for the shadow areas when shooting with flm.
With a digital camera you expose for the highlights, but
with flm you expose for the shadows as flm can retain
highlight detail even when overexposed by as much as 6
stops. I take a meter reading from just under the chin for
my shots. If you want to practise before splashing out
on top-of-the-range flm, load up with AGFA Vista
Plus 200, which can be found for £1.
If you enjoy mono photography, try using
coloured lens flters. A yellow flter can lighten skin
tones, orange and red flters can give high-con-
trast images and a blue flter can accentuate
freckles. Brighter days also provide enough
light to shoot with slow speed, ultra-fne-
grain flms like Ilford’s Pan F Plus ISO 50
black & white flm. Finally, if you’ve only
ever used 35mm flm cameras, look for
an old medium-format flm camera.
The detail captured by larger flm
negatives of 645 format, 6x6cm or Film is an entirely different
proposition to digital. As
6x7cm, is more than 2-4 versatile as digital is, the
times that of 35mm. detail of flm can be stunning

12
11 USE FILTERS
DAVE KAI-PIPER
Shooting in bright conditions
doesn’t necessarily go hand-in-
hand with the wide and fast
apertures we often desire for a
shallow-depth-of-field portrait.
The high light levels can mean
that we have to stop the lens
down and lose that bokeh we
crave in order to get a balanced
exposure – even with shutter
speeds as high as 1/8,000sec.
This is where neutral-density
filters come into play. Thanks to
their ability to limit the amount
of light passing through the lens,
you’ll be able to open up your
lens to work at your desired
aperture without overexposing
your shot. They are available in
different strengths, so you can
select the right ND filter for the
light levels you’re working with.
12 USING NATURAL
SHADOWS
DAVE KAI-PIPER
Bright conditions call
for a neutral-density filter
so you can open up the
lens without overexposing
the shot
Using natural light can be fun,
especially when you use
shadows to your advantage.
Watch where the sun is and
where the shadows are falling,
then use them to creative effect.
This can be something as
simple as having your model
face into a shady area, perhaps
with eyes closed or allowing the
sitter’s eyes to open up for a
really intense gaze.
You could try something a
little more complex, such as
working ‘shadow play’ into
your shots.
Opportunities for sunset
silhouettes are rare: plan
ahead to get your shot
ALL IMAGES THIS PAGE © DAVE KAI-PIPER
13 AVOID SHOOTING Shooting with the sun at its
IN THE MIDDAY SUN peak height, at midday or
DAVE KAI-PIPER thereabouts, is never a good
idea, as the harsh light will see
shadows fall too harshly on
your subject.
If you can, find summer
shade to avoid this or turn the
subject away from facing the
sun, otherwise not only will
they end up squinting but also
you’ll find it harder to control
your exposures.
It goes without saying that
to avoid this, you should try to
shoot earlier or later in the day.
14 SHOOT SILHOUETTES
DAVE KAI-PIPER
Using the late summer sun can produce wonderful
effects that are not possible at other times of the
year. Check the time the sun sets and head out an
hour before to see where the sun will be.
When it comes to metering, you should expose for
the sunset so your model is underexposed, resulting
in them being silhouetted against the setting sun. To
avoid any unwanted flare, place your model directly
in the path of the sun, creating a shadow for you to
stand in, and shoot.
13
 C A M E R A S K I L L S
Equally appealing against a blue or
white background, terns are one of the
UK’s most striking wildlife subjects to
photograph
15 TERNS
ANDREW MASON
Walk along the boardwalk in
summer on the island of Inner
Farne, off the Northumberland
coast, and you’re guaranteed to be
mobbed by the breeding terns that
have their nests on the island.
Terns are small-to-medium-sized
migratory birds that are resident in
the UK from late spring to early
autumn. Five species of terns can be
found breeding in the UK, namely
Arctic, common, little, roseate and
© ANDREW MASON
sandwich. Breeding sites can be
found along the UK coast (apart
14
from the south-west) on shingle
beaches and rocky islands. Some
terns also breed at inland sites such
as reservoirs. Arctic terns are by far
the most numerous, with around
53,000 breeding pairs in the UK.
They are also the longest travelling,
returning to the Antarctic where
they over-winter. Roseate terns are
one of the UK’s rarest birds with
fewer than 90 breeding pairs.
When photographing, avoid
venturing too close to the nests and
disturbing nesting birds. At sites like
the Farne Islands, keep to areas that
have been marked out for visitors.
Little terns and roseate terns are
protected and a licence is required to
photograph them at their nests.
With their predominantly white
plumage, terns make very striking
photographic subjects. When in
flight, they contrast markedly with
blue skies. On overcast days,
consider making high-key images
with the sky rendered white – the
terns will take on an ethereal
presence. The coastal locations
where terns breed (Anglesey, Farne
Islands, Norfolk, Orkney Islands and
Shetland Islands) make for great
environmental images.
 16 KINGFISHERS
ANDREW MASON
A bright flash of blue and
orange flying low and fast over
the water, a short, sharp whistle
and the kingfisher is gone. As
well as brief glimpses in flight,
kingfishers can also be seen on
riverside perches from where
they dive for fish. They are
found near clean, slow-moving
water, canals and lakes in the
UK and Ireland, albeit fewer in
number in Scotland.
There are numerous nature
reserves where kingfishers can
be seen and photographed,
typically from hides set up for
birdwatching. At some hides,
local photographers have made
perches to attract the birds.
However, at most of these
hides, the kingfishers can only
be photographed at a distance,
requiring the use of extreme
focal lengths and/or cropping.
A far better option is to find
Keep downwind from a rabbit, lie very still
under some netting and you could be
rewarded with a close encounter
© ROBERT CANIS
© ANDREW MASON
a quiet stretch of water that has Due to kingfishers’ brightness,
resident kingfishers and (with backgrounds need to be clean.
As for capturing a diving shot,
the landowner’s permission) set
you’ll need perseverance!
up perches to attract the birds.
By using a portable hide – a
bag hide will work – or a screen/
blind, the kingfishers can be
photographed much closer.
Avoid nest sites, as a licence is
required to photograph them.
When photographing,
consider varying the perches
– an old fishing rod makes for a
great substitute branch, as do
‘No Fishing’ signs. As well as
trying portraits with a
kingfisher isolated against a
clean background, experiment
with a remote camera and a
wideangle lens to show them in
their environment.
The hardest images to capture
are those of a kingfisher diving
for fish. To capture such a shot
that’s well-composed, in ideal
light and in focus is incredibly
difficult, but very rewarding.
17 RABBITS clothing. The more you can
ROBERT CANIS conceal yourself, the better.
Hares are great characters, have a Rabbits always look good
fascinating history, are far less bathed in warm, evening
numerous than rabbits and, as a sunlight. Try to arrive a couple of
whole, are very difficult to get hours before sunset, check the
good images of, making them wind direction and settle
more desirable. yourself ten metres or so away
Rabbits, on the other hand, are (depending on your lens).
found almost everywhere If you’re lying down, support
throughout Britain and they your camera on a beanbag and
have a fixed abode, so are far throw some scrim netting over
more accessible and, to top it off, your camera. A cushion to
you don’t need lots of fieldcraft! support your chest will also
Rabbits have an acute sense of make the wait more comfortable.
smell, so try to position yourself Lying as still as possible is vital.
downwind. Look for somewhere Being inconspicuous also means
to break up your outline, too, there is a chance of observing
such as patches of nettles, long and, potentially, photographing
grass or a hedge. I prefer to shoot other kinds of wildlife, so keep
at ground level as you get a more your eyes peeled. Over the years,
intimate perspective, but failing in the course of photographing
this, sit with your back against a rabbits, I’ve had some amazing
tree. Also, you should avoid close encounters with foxes,
wearing noisy, brightly coloured buzzards, hares and owls.
15
 C a m e r a S k i l l S

18 Barn owls
oscar Dewhurst
Recently, the barn owl was beaten into
second place by the robin in the quest
to determine Britain’s national bird.
At this time of year, barn owls can
often be found hunting in daylight
due to the demand of having to feed
their chicks regularly, so they can be
easier to photograph.
Before you start photographing,
though, there are a few things to think
about. First, you need to fnd a
location where barn owls are hunting.
signifcantly easier as you can position With depth of feld being so minuscule and the lens
your hide according to where the owl so close to the subject, a steady hand
and sun will be. If it is on private land, (and Photoshop) is required
make sure you check with the
landowner before setting up your gear.
Equipment-wise, I recommend
using a lens over 300mm. For settings,
I often use manual mode for barn
owls because their light colour can
often throw off the camera’s metering,
especially when combined with a
dark background.
Keep a shutter speed of at least
1/500sec to freeze movement, even if

Look on your local bird-club website
to see if there’s an area where they’re
regularly reported. Once you have a
location, spend a few early mornings
or evenings watching from a distance
to work out what their hunting
patterns and favoured perches are.
After this, photography will be
© oscar dewhurst
this means increasing the ISO and
shooting at your widest aperture
because light levels early in the
morning and late in the evening can be
low. However, you can experiment
with slower shutter speeds and
panning to give motion blur. For this,
I fnd 1/4sec to 1/30sec are best.
When barn owls are feeding
chicks, action-packed hunting
© mat perry
20 close-up insects Mat perry
You don’t need expensive macro lenses to shoot
stunning close-up images. If you’ve got a DSLR, all
you need is a compatible (inexpensive) reversing
ring and lens. I mainly shoot with either a 28mm or
20mm prime lens reversed onto a Nikon D5100,
although for best results I use a lens that has a
manual aperture ring as all control of the aperture
via the camera will be lost once the lens is reversed.
I shoot with an aperture of f/8 or f/11 with the
fastest shutter speed that my camera will allow me to
sync with the fash (which, for me, is 1/250sec) and
to expose my subject correctly, I adjust the fash
power output or the ISO to fne-tune the exposure.
For lighting, I use a small fashgun with a DIY
softbox made from a Chinese noodle box and a
piece of polystyrene that came with a frozen pizza.

I try to use two to three photographs with

19 heDgehogs
DaviD tipling
Being nocturnal does not mean
hedgehogs are hard to locate if you
have a decent population living in your productive method for photography.
area. They can be very noisy as they
shots can be taken in daylight
– if you know where to look
water dish and supplementary food in
your garden or local wood, you may be
able to attract hedgehogs to a chosen
spot. This is by far the best and most
Try any meat-based dog or cat food, or
different areas of the subject in focus and then
automatically stack them together in Photoshop.
The working distance is also very small and this is
where patience and a steady hand come into play.
I fnd the best time of day is at dawn when they’re
at their most docile. Sometimes an insect will
happily sit there and pose while you snap away, but
the majority of times they won’t.
© david tipling

snuffe around looking for food, or dried mealworms and peanuts used for
chase or interact with one another. bird feeders, but avoid putting out
However, getting into a good milk on saucers, as hedgehogs cannot
photographic position with a tolerate lactose.
hedgehog is easier said than done, and If fnding a wild animal proves too
as it’s likely to be dark, a fash or some challenging, try contacting your local
other form of lighting is essential. hedgehog rescue centre – they may
Sun-baked earth means their well be able to offer you some
favoured food, such as earthworms, opportunities to photograph animals
slugs and other small invertebrates, can being nursed back to health or ones
prove hard to fnd. By providing a ready for release.
16
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 c a m e r a s k i l l s
21 CyCling events
Phil hall
We may not have the Tour de
France whistling through the UK
this year, but you’ll still have the
chance to see some of the biggest
names in cycling riding in the UK
and a perfect opportunity to grab
some impressive cycling shots.
Think about your positioning.
You can take some panning shots
on a straight, but try placing
yourself at a bend as you’ll be able
to shoot riders coming towards
you and there’s a chance they
may slow down to take the corner.
To avoid shooting large
groups of riders (the peloton),
look for major hills on the route
where the riders tend to slow
down and spread out a bit. There’s
also much more intensity in the
riders’ expressions as they push
themselves up hill.
A telephoto zoom lens such
a 70-200mm is a great choice,
but also pack a wideangle zoom
and shoot down low for a
dramatic result.
botH PIctures © mAtt HArt
22 Candid
street shots
Matt hart
Now is a great time for candid
street photographers like me.
There are some amazing
images to be had at the Pride
events and carnivals, as well as
sporting matches. Personally,
I prefer to stay just outside
the main events and look for
18
Position yourself on a
bend to shoot riders as
they slow down
© PHIL HALL
Don’t forget that roads off the main event
are often a perfect opportunity to
photograph candid images
the interesting characters.
I like to position myself in
the roads leading to and from
the events, as I can fnd more
intriguing scenes. It’s also less
crowded so you lower the
chance of your image being
spoilt by people pushing and
Subtle shooting from the hip is
a good way to go unnoticed in
a crowded street scene
shoving. This is a great way to
fnd a really good background
and wait for the right subjects
to walk into the frame. You can
also compose the shot before
your subject arrives.
If I fnd a great subject while
walking around, I try to get in
23 airshows
geoffrey lee
At airshows your location
will very much dictate what
type of images you achieve.
The background is an
important consideration as
you may have buildings or
crowds that could distract
from the aircraft, while
another vantage point
might only offer the best
light in the morning or
afternoon. On top of that,
make sure you have a clear
180° view without
obstruction so you can get
a good range of vision while
panning the aircraft as
they fy past.
I set my cameras on
shutter priority for fast jets
and try not to go below
1/500sec, and will go as high
as possible to achieve an
aperture of between f/5.6
and f/8 at ISO 400,
front of them without being
noticed so that I can capture
them head on.
I try to shoot more and more
from the hip these days to add
interesting angles. I use the
tilting rear screens on the
Fujiflm X-T10, looking down
with the camera around
my neck as if I were looking in
a ground-glass viewfnder.
 ALL THREE PICTURES © GEOFFREY LEE
depending on the lighting
conditions.
To get the most dramatic
photos with sharp aircraft
against a blurred
background, it’s best to use
larger apertures (f/2.8-f/4)
with a lower shutter
speed (1/250sec) and a
good, steady panning
technique as
you follow the aircraft
passing through at more
than 400mph. With
propeller aircraft my shutter It’s best to use larger
apertures with a lower
speed is set to 1/320sec or
shutter speed for jet aircraft
below, because any higher
shutter speed will freeze the
propeller and make the
aircraft appear static.
The weather is a key appear over the top
player in how your final surface of the jet as
results look and if it’s damp well as wing-tip vortices.
the air pressure drops, so This is called the
when you get fast, high, Prandtl-Glauert singularity
G-turning aircraft it causes or vapour-cloud effect, and
a condensation cloud to really enhances shots.

24 CRICKET
MICHAEL TOPHAM
There’s no better place to watch
a game than from the stands,
and a cricket ground such as
Lord’s always offers great
potential to capture
a series of interesting shots of
the crowd and the action.
If you were unsuccessful in
this year’s ballot, there are
plenty of shooting
opportunities closer to home. A
visit to your local village green
on a Saturday or Sunday
afternoon is the best place to
start, and if you’re new to
cricket photography you’ll want
to start by dialling in a 1/500sec
shutter speed in shutter priority
mode to help freeze the ball and
the action as it happens.
You’ll need a long telephoto
zoom to get to the heart of the
action. Make sure you get as
close to the boundary edge as
possible to fill the frame with
the batsman or bowler.
When you’re ready to take on
the next challenge, you’ll want
to attempt photographing a
county game or an evening T20
blast in low-light conditions.
You can check relevant county
cricket clubs’ websites for a full
fixture list.

Get right to the heart of the action

with a long telephoto zoom
BOTH PICTURES © MICHAEL TOPHAM

Individual team members

may be interested in
buying one of your prints

19
 c a m e r a s k i l l s

25 Balloon
Festivals
Craig roBerts
An early rise is necessary for the
morning fights, as these take
place around 6am to suit the
conditions ideal for fying. If it is
too windy, they often do tethered
take-offs, where the balloons are
infated but stay on the ground
for safety. The arena will have
around 20-30 balloons taking off,
so it’s a packed environment
offering lots of opportunities for
frame-flling shots.
You can often shoot with
a wideangle lens if a balloon is
being infated near the edge of
the roped-off arena; otherwise
a telephoto zoom is best to fll
the frame with the balloons
and also to capture shots of the
balloons as they lift off.
If you aren’t an early riser,
the afternoon fights are a
second chance to shoot this
event, while a tethered
nightglow makes an alternative,
if tricky, shoot to do on the
Saturday evening. These
nightglows require a high ISO
for a fast shutter speed to avoid
blurring, as it will be very dark,
with only the fames in the
balloons illuminating the arena.
The Bristol Ballon Fiesta is a
great event and if you’re going
for the weekend, a second
viewpoint is from the Clifton
Suspension Bridge, where the
balloons pass after they depart
the arena. You need to get there
at least an hour before take-off
as it’s like a press scrum with
dozens of photographers
jostling for top spot to frame
the balloons with the bridge,
but it’s certainly worth it.

The Clifton Suspension

Bridge is a good spot to
© craig roberts

capture the balloons

during the festa

26 MusiC Festivals and aren’t allowed to do. Trying to get close to

CalluM MCinerney-riley
There are plenty of different genres of
music and festivals, which present
exciting opportunities to capture the
festival vibe and people having a
fantastic time.
Some festivals are enormous and last
almost a week, while others are rather
more humble affairs with a single stage
for the day. With the bigger festivals
it’s likely that you’ll need to be accredited
If you can get close to the stage and/or the action is probably
musicians, then take a lens with a wide more feasible at
smaller festivals
aperture and shoot it wide open. This
will allow you to freeze the action with a
faster shutter speed as well as isolate your
subject from the background. Also, time
your shutter clicking to when the artist is
really getting into the groove to ensure
you capture the most engaging images.
If you have never shot video
before, a music festival is a great place
© callum mcinerney-riley

in order to take a camera into the event,
but at the smaller festivals this shouldn’t
be an issue. However, it’s still worth
checking in advance as to what you are
20
to try it out. As soon as a signifcant
song is played, hit record and capture
that important moment as the crowd
goes wild.
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 b e s t o f b r i t i s h

Overall Winner
DaviD YeO
this quintessentially british caravan in David’s image
‘Vroom with a View’ refects all that is good about
the british countryside. its wallpapered interior
makes it amazingly quirky, while the girl looks out of
the window. the caravan shelters under a
blossoming horse chestnut tree, which adds to the
many shades of green around it. the fock of sheep
in the distance is a lovely touch.

22
 Best of
British We take a look at some of the best entries from the
inaugural British Life Photography Awards

THERE REALLY IS A GREAT wealth of photography YOUNG

competitions out there, so it takes something special PHOTOGRAPHER AWARD
to catch our eye. Luckily, the inaugural British Life ELLA TURVILLE
Awards contains some of the most captivating work ‘This is my brother on
Brighton beach,’ says
we’ve seen recently. The competition is open to both
17-year-old Ella of this
amateurs and professionals, with the only brief
stunningly lit shot called
being that the images must be imaginative and ‘Lord of the Flies’. ‘He
contemporary illustrations of British life. There are found this stone and ran
ten separate categories, including Street Life, Rural over to show me. I didn’t
Life, Portraiture, Work in the Community and Brits have my camera in my
hand at that moment,
on Holiday. There were some familiar names among
but asked him to repeat
the winners and shortlists, not least among them his unusual pose so
Brighton-based photographer Heather Buckley, who I could take this shot
we’ll be talking to in a future issue. using the flash.’

© ELLA TURVILLE
© DAVID YEO

23
 b e s t o f b r i t i s h

RuRal life
Roy Riley Commended
there’s something almost balletic about
this dizzying image, called ‘Climbing at
the roaches’ of a climber hanging off the
side of the roaches rocky ridge, which is
a popular location in staffordshire for
both photographers and climbers. While
the shot is beautifully composed to show
as much of the surrounding environment
as possible, it’s the setting winter sun
that really makes it so captivating.

StReet life
Simon PeaCoCk
Commended
Perhaps the most important thing this
untitled image demonstrates is the need
to stay alert during your street
photography excursions. Not only is this
a lovely subject (the camera is a nice
touch), but it is also perfectly timed. the
bus moving in behind the woman is of
absolute importance to ensure she
stands out in the otherwise chaotic
scene. removing the colour helps this
© roy riley

further, leaving us with an image of

attractive contrasts.
© simon peacock

24

RURAL LIFE
MIKE REGO
COMMENDED
‘This image taken in Dartmoor, Devon,
called “Tom Hunt Feeding his Sheep”,
shows the farmer out with his flock,’
says Mike. ‘With the sun shining
directly up the valley, I positioned
myself to capture both Tom’s Land
Rover and the sheep, balancing the
contrast in the foreground with the
high contrast of the sky.’
© JOHN STURROCK
HISTORIC BRITAIN
JOHN STURROCK COMMENDED
While the majority of categories asked
photographers to focus on the elements that make
up contemporary Britain, they also included a
category titled Historic Britain. This fantastic
documentary image called ‘Bathtime in Tain’ from
1976 shows a young girl taking a bath in the kitchen
sink, in the Highland town of Tain, on the south shore
of the Dornoch Firth. There are many things to love
here. The offside gaze, the respectfully placed cloth
and clutter of washing-up are lovely.
© ROY RILEY
© MIKE REGO
WORK IN THE COUNTRY
ROY RILEY COMMENDED
Roy found this extraordinary scene in Bodmin in
Cornwall. You’d be forgiven for having no idea what
it is you’re seeing. Called ‘Stuffed Animals go to
Auction’, the image shows auctioneers cataloguing
some of the larger exhibits from a collection of
stuffed animals prior to auction. We only hope each
animal was photographed individually and not
placed together, though it’s not often you see a polar
bear facing off against a lion and an elephant calf.
PORTRAITURE
JON BROOK
© JON BROOK
COMMENDED
The image is called “Big Dave, World
Champion Wargamer”. ‘Dave paints
the figures that make up his armies,’
says Jon. ‘This is considered as much a
part of the hobby as fighting the
battles. He asked me to photograph
individual pieces so he could show his
work to others and he agreed to pose
for me when we had finished.’
25
 b e s t o f b r i t i s h

RuRal life

© heather buckley
HeatHeR Buckley
brighton-based heather buckley has turned her
prolifc photographic eye to the people who attend
the Goodwood revival, a weekend event in West
sussex of motor racing, period theatre and live
music. What’s particularly striking is the use of a
wideangle lens and a low shooting angle. it’s a
technique that exaggerates the perspective and
works in harmony with the vibrant pastel colours
that are so dominant throughout the scene.

BRitisH WeatHeR

© chaitanya deshpande
cHaitanya DesHpanDe
‘With a storm forecast, i made the brave decision to
go to brighton and photograph an angry sea,’ says
Chaitanya, about her image called ‘omen’. ‘i had
“perfect” conditions – angry sea, dark clouds and
even the sun showing itself on the horizon. i had
forgotten that it was still starling season, but i was
thankful when they made their appearance, adding
drama to an already dark scene.’

British Life PhotograPhy

awards PortfoLio 1:
Images selected by the judging panel of the
inaugural British Life Photography Awards,
published by Ilex, is available to buy, price
£20. If you would like to see more of the
2015 competition, visit www.blpawards.org

stReet life
cHaitanya
DesHpanDe
‘this shot, called “Merry
Christmas”, was taken in
east London, at the
height of the pre-
Christmas festivities,’
says Chaitanya. ‘santas
were everywhere, but
this young woman didn’t
seem to care about the
Christmas spirit.
Completely at ease with
herself and her
surroundings, with
telling tattoos on her
knuckles and a defant
look on her face, the
writing on the shutter
behind her could almost
© chaitanya deshpande

express her inner

feelings.’
© ian wade

26
URBAN LIFE
IAN WADE
Ian caught this image, called ‘On the Edge of
the City’, while taking a stroll one morning
through the vast estate of Ashton Court in
Bristol. In the foreground we see a red deer
against a backdrop of tower blocks. It is, as Ian
himself says, a strong juxtaposition representing
the dual territories of the natural world and the
ever-expanding urban environment.
 l a n d s c a p e s
Maximise
your weekend
plan, shoot, edit and share a landscape portfolio in a weekend.
Phil Hall shows you how to make the most of your time
all Images PHIl Hall
I don’t know about you , but I fnd photography
to be incredibly frustrating at times. Although when
I say that, I’m not really talking about it in the sense
of taking pictures. There’s no doubt it can be
challenging when out in the feld and things aren’t
going quite as you’d hoped – whether those things
are in or out of your control. No, what I’m talking
about is the frustration that manifests when you
haven’t been out taking photographs for a while.
You can read about photography, look at others’
images for inspiration, or drool over expensive kit
– but there’s defnitely no substitute for getting out
there yourself.
Many of us would love to dedicate huge swathes
of time to our photography, but often work and
28
family life make this an impractical aspiration so it’s Early starts at the weekend
crucial to make the most of any time you do get to can be tiring, but the rewards
are worth it
go out. While you can grab the odd hour or two
before or after work during the week if you’re lucky,
it’s the weekend that presents the widest window to
get out with your camera. With some careful
planning (and possibly negotiating some time off
from other commitments), you’ll be surprised by the
number of images you can capture in a weekend,
while still having time to edit and share them before
you’re back at work on Monday, frustration having
subsided – for now, at least.
With this in mind, let’s look at how you can
maximise your time so you can plan, shoot, edit and
share your images in a single weekend.
 PLANNING
Without sounding
too much like an
applicant on The
Apprentice, if you fail to plan, you plan
to fail. As soon as you know you’ll have a clear
weekend, start planning. The biggest decision is
whether you’ll remain relatively local to your area or
will be travelling further afield.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both.
Stay close to home and you have local knowledge on
your side: knowing the roads and how sites can be
accessed, and the ability to do a possible recce or two
beforehand. However, if you’ve shot these spots
before, they may not give you quite the same buzz as
a new location – which is why it might be worth
booking a B&B and going further afield. This can
give your photography fresh impetus, but comes
with the drawback of extra costs and not knowing
much about the locations you plan to visit. For my
weekend shooting, I opted for the best of both
worlds and headed to Suffolk. I know the area well
and, happily, I can stay with family.

SHOOTING LIST
Once you’ve decided whether to stay put or travel,
it’s time to line-up a shooting list of where you’d like
to take pictures. In this instance, I’d planned to
shoot from Saturday morning until the evening,
with another early start on the Sunday in order to
finish at lunch and allow time for editing. Flickr is a
good place to begin pinpointing locations you’d like
to visit. Start by making a list of potential spots,
before finalising a running order of where to shoot.
It’s important to maximise your time, so to avoid
travelling back and forth too much between your
locations, plan with a start and end point in mind,
visiting two or three locations along the way. Along
with a map and The Photographer’s Ephemeris
(www.photoephemeris.com – the desktop version is
Images don’t have to be free to use), you can plan a route and assess how the
bursting with light and light will fall on the spots you’re visiting.
colour, as this low-key
shot illustrates

Check the position

of the sun before
setting out

29
 L A N D S C A P E S

TOP TIPS
1 If you can, shoot with a
friend. It will make the
day even more enjoyable,
and it means you won’t
be tempted to ignore
the early alarm call if
someone else is relying on
you to get up.

2 Make sure you eat when

you can. Long days
shooting mean you’ll need
to keep your energy levels
up – have breakfast before
you start, pack snacks and
enjoy a good lunch.

3 Remember that the plan

is not set in stone, so be
prepared to adapt
depending on the
conditions. If you see a shot
while travelling between
locations, get out (if it’s safe
to do so) and shoot.

4 Don’t get downhearted

if things aren’t going
quite as planned. Make
the best of the location,
because you never know
what you might come
away with. Use the time
to experiment.
This misty-morning
shot wasn’t planned.
In fact, it was spotted
as I was driving to my
next location

SHOOTING Once you’re over the initial shock of such an early

5 Enjoy yourself –
it’s the weekend and
you’re out shooting rather
than stuck at home.
Regardless of the weather
or any other
uncontrollable factors,
make the most of it.
With your planning done, cameras charged, and kit
cleaned and checked, it’s time to set your alarm
clock in anticipation of the early start needed for
your first location. Double-check the sunrise times,
and make sure to leave enough time to get to your
chosen spot and set up you kit before the sun breaks
over the horizon.
morning (especially on the weekend), there’s
nothing like the sense of excitement and
anticipation as you head out towards your first
shooting location. However, don’t feel too deflated if
things don’t go to plan when you arrive. All too
often the weather, the quality of light or a range of
other elements out of your control may not be

SHOOTING
A PANORAMA
While there’s no substitute for a dedicated
nodal slide, it’s still possible to get
decent-looking panoramic images with
a ball-and-socket or three-way head. Avoid
using a wideangle lens as this will lead to a lot
of distortion, with a 50mm focal length being
1 Position the camera in portrait format and make sure your
camera is dead level using your tripod head’s spirit level. Once
that’s done, check that the camera sweeps through the vista
2 Shoot in raw and set the exposure manually to avoid any
discrepancies. Also, set and lock-off your focusing so it
doesn’t shift as you move from left to right across the scene.
a good starting point. without dipping down or rising at your end point. Start shooting, making sure there’s at least a third of an overlap
between each frame.

30
 KIITT LIST
KKIT LIST
LIS
LI STT
Shooting early
morning light
means ND grads
are a must to help
balance the scene

TORCH
TTORC
TO
TOR
ORCH
RCH
CHH
Whether you opt for a
handheld one or a head
torch, this is a handy piece
of kit to take with you,
especially if you have to
walk to or from your car
when it’s dark.

COMFY SHOES
You’re going to be
spending a lot of time on
your feet, so comfortable
and durable shoes are a
necessity. You’ll probably
also want to pack a pair of
wellies if you’re working
near water.

quite as good as you had hoped. FILTERS

In my case, I arrived at the Tide Mill in It goes without saying
Woodbridge to discover not only that there was that you’re going to need
filters. A couple of
scaffolding adorning the front of it, but also that the graduated neutral density
light wasn’t as dramatic as I’d wanted. This resulted filters are a good bet,
in formulating a quick Plan B and wandering while something like a Lee
Even if conditions aren’t perfect,
further along the river walk so the Tide Mill wasn’t Big Stopper to shoot long
make an effort to get out and shoot
exposures is also handy
as prominent in the scene, while several other

LENSES
A wideangle zoom like a
16-35mm is ideal,
although a standard zoom
will still do a decent job.
Don’t forget to pack a
telephoto too –
something like a
70-200mm – for a slightly
different view.

31
 l a n d s c a p e s

subjects presented themselves to focus in on. Opting for a wide aperture

Having got some shots I was reasonably happy has resulted in a slightly more
abstract image
with, I decided to cut my losses and head back to the
car. It was as I was driving to my next location,
feeling a bit disheartened with how the morning had
turned out, that I noticed how the sun had started to
warm the riverbank to form morning mist. It wasn’t
part of the plan or a location that would normally
lend itself to a good shot, but the mix of conditions
and light meant it couldn’t be ignored. The
opportunity for an unplanned stop resulted in some
images I was really happy with and spurred me on to
the next location.

Details
Landscapes don’t always have to be broad vistas.
Shooting in Rendlesham Forest, I was drawn to a
birch tree that was set against a wall of pine trees,
with the sunlight highlighting the right-hand side.
However, shooting wideangle just didn’t provide the
shot I was after, so, after swapping to a 70-200mm,
I focused in more tightly for an image that was
altogether more low-key (see page 29).
While you may be inclined to shoot everything
with a large depth of feld, some scenes beneft from
a little experimentation with apertures, to direct the
viewer as well as create a three-dimensional effect.
Walberswick Harbour has been shot numerous
times and, while I took some traditional wider
views, I wanted something a little different. By
getting down and focusing on the reeds in the
foreground at a wider aperture, the wooden black
huts in the distance were de-focused just enough to
provide a more abstract result (right).

Shooting a 1 Compose and focus your

shot before taking a meter

long expoSure
reading without the flter in
place. The Lee Big Stopper
comes with a handy exposure
guide, so you can easily work
out the adjusted exposure
once the flter is in place.

2 With your camera in

manual mode, dial the
adjusted shutter speed into
the camera, then cover the
eyepiece to avoid any light
leaks. A remote trigger is
With blustery conditions at Walberswick and with often necessary to avoid any
the tide receding to reveal the remnants of the old unwanted camera shake – if
pier, it was the perfect opportunity to shoot a you’ve got a smartphone,
long exposure. Let’s look at how to set up and then look at the Triggertrap
shoot with a 10-stop neutral density flter. app and mobile kit.

32
EDITING all, your shots (depending on how successful you’ve been).
Whether you carry your laptop around to edit images in between Otherwise, it’s all too easy to let them linger on your card or hard
locations, or sit down at the end of your weekend and go through drive. Everyone has their own way of editing and post-processing,
them individually, try to make time to post-process some, if not but here are some tips that will give your images a polished look.

1 GENERAL ADJUSTMENTS 2 LENS CORRECTION

Spend time getting these core adjustments just right. Pay
attention to your histogram, using the Whites and Blacks sliders to
make sure you maintain both pure black and white in the image.
Use both Clarity and Vibrance to add punch to your image, while
the Graduated Filter and Adjustment Brush tools will allow you to
darken skies and tinker with other elements of the image,
particularly the foreground, to balance the image further.
Even the best optics can benefit from a little fine-tuning, so
whether you’re using Lightroom’s Lens Correction tab or the
similarly named tab in Photoshop Adobe Camera Raw (ACR),
ensure you tick the Enable Profile Corrections box. Some subjects
with man-made elements sometimes require a little manual
adjustment, particularly with converging verticals, so spend time
with the manual sliders to tweak the image a bit further.

3 CREATING A PANORAMA 4 ADD A SPLIT-TONE EFFECT

You’ve learned how to shoot one (see page 30), but here’s what to
do once you’ve downloaded your images. In Photoshop, make a
batch raw conversion and save them all in one place. Then go to
File, select Automate and then Photomerge. Find your files and
select Auto for the layout. In Lightroom CC, select your images,
right click and select Photomerge from the drop-down menu, then
select Panorama. Choose your Projection and Auto Crop.
If you want to give your mono images a little twist and add some
subtle hints of colour to the shadows and highlights, split toning is
a great way to achieve this. Using the Split Toning panel in either
Lightroom or Photoshop ACR, you can set the Hue for both the
Highlights and Shadows, toggling the Saturation of each, while the
Balance can have a big impact on the overall look. Aim for lighter
colours in the Highlights and darker tones in the Shadows.

SHARING
Once I’ve finished editing my images, I find it’s a good
idea to leave some time before coming back to them.
Returning with fresh eyes will often let you see photos
in a different light – they may not be quite as good as
you remember, or some that were down the pecking order may have taken on new
appeal. Once you’ve settled on a couple of favourites, make sure you share them.
Image-specific social sites like Flickr and 500px are great places to start, but don’t
forget Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to reach a broader and more-varied audience.

33
 L A N D S C A P E S

STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD is not an easy

Form,
proposition for today’s landscape photographers. I
read an interesting article on this recently by travel
photographer Steve Watkins, who talked about the
importance of taking risks with composition, trying
a new technique and carving out niches.
I completely connected with this sentiment, as
I’ve worked hard to stretch my comfort zone in
order to exist in the relatively small space occupied
by photographers who are actively trying to
texture
and tone
produce something a little different. In my view, if
you’re not testing yourself artistically then you’re
not growing as a photographer.
This is where infrared photography wandered into
my consciousness. Monochromatic images had
captivated me for years, and it struck me that this Discover how to create unique
was a medium where you can really focus on the stand-out imagery with infrared, as
core structure of a subject – its form, texture and expert Russ Barnes explains
ALL IMAGES RUSS BARNES
tone. Sometimes I’ve felt that my black & white
images have lacked something, and I found myself
seeking a technique that could not only support
strong composition, but also had the potential to
transport the viewer to another place.

UNIQUE VISION
Infrared squarely delivers for me in this respect and
I love the idea that while you get to photograph real
things and real places, you produce an almost unreal
vision in the final frame. There aren’t that many
photographers who seem to pursue it, so it’s an
opportunity to draw some interest and, with
practice, create stand-out imagery. It’s not infrared
for the sake of infrared, though, as I’m not a fan of
so-called ‘false-colour infrared’. Rather, my interest
has been all about manipulating the technique to
create contrast-rich monochromatic photography.
So when and how does infrared really come into
its own? As many landscape photographers will
probably agree, summer is usually their least
favourite time of year. Ridiculously early sunrise
times, harsh light lasting up to 18 hours a day and A lavender field in the
testing heat – it’s not where we really thrive, and Cotswolds takes on a
completely different
many will sit out the days patiently waiting for look and feel
sunset or even longer until autumn begins.
But this is where infrared is a true game-changer
– the more light the better. Shooting at midday in
REMOTE RELEASE RED
INFRARED
KIT LIST

the fabulous wilderness of Exmoor National Park in

south-west England during a roasting spell in June
You’ll probably want to FILTER
use a remote timer sswitch t If y tarting out,
last year was an absolute boon, and I got some of my vibrations and enable easy
avoid vibrat an in w-on
on
favourite images of the year. I can’t wait to go back. long-exposur
long fi o go..
At last I have something to keep me completely progr
pro Y o pick a
Thir ches
occupied and focused through the long summer are ccheap to chosen lens, but the
days, with the opportunity to make something just obtain on the
obtai Ho 2 does
as artistic as any other season in the year. internet.
inter the job nic .
The other true key ingredient is foliage, and
34
 RUSS
BARNES
C TIBLE LENSES
SES CONVERSION Russ is a dedicated British
landscape photographer
It’s best to check your lenses against
st a hotspot database If you are confident that
such as www. with a particular passion for
infrared is going to form
kolarivision.com/ trees. Here he shows us how
a large part of your
lenshotspot.html. Not to think differently and
portfolio, consider a
all lenses perform well creatively using infrared
720nm sensor conversion
with infrared, filters to create contrast-rich
instead of a screw-on
particularly at smaller landscapes from ordinary
filter to avoid perpetual
apertures such as scenes.
long exposures.
f/11-f/16. www.russbarnes.co.uk

35
 L A N D S C A P E S
fortunately the landscape is stuffed with things that
are full of chlorophyll, the agent that makes things
green. Where there is green you have the potential to
make white, and where there is blue you have the
potential to make black. There are many other
factors, of course, but hopefully you can start to
imagine what sort of world you can depict in
photographs with that sort of recipe.
WORTH THE EFFORT
The technical side of infrared does contain an
amount of complexity, but anything worth doing
isn’t always easy. If it were, everyone would already
be doing it. There is a tick-list of resources you will
want to read about on this subject, but fortunately
there is extensive online content. An amount of
post-processing is certainly involved, so shooting
raw files is essential, while some understanding of
setting a manual white balance is required (if using
an infrared screw-on filter, set it to 2,500K or the
minimum your camera supports). You will also
want to look into ‘infrared hot spots’ for your
existing lenses (infrared light doesn’t necessarily
36
Shooting under the midday
sun produces much more
pleasing tones than normal
I waited and waited for
the right day, side light,
broken cloud and leaf
growth for this shot
Foliage turns to white,
producing a ghostly
effect and unique tones
that set it apart
transmit well through certain lenses) and focusing
with infrared enters new territory (using live view is
best). Finally, you will need to buy an infrared filter.
ACCESSIBLE
However, the whole infrared technique is very
accessible. My first purchase that propelled me into
infrared was a second-hand Hoya R72 (720nm)
screw-on filter on eBay for £20. It goes in front of
your lens and is akin to using 10-stop neutral
density glass, although there is no neatly defined
exposure table to work off as infrared is a much
more random world than that. This filter gets a top
recommendation from me if you’re starting out.
Second-hand bargains are hard to find, but it’s a lot
cheaper than buying a fully converted camera with
its sensor adapted that allows you to take ‘normal’
exposures with more light entering the lens.
It’s been a journey to get to the point where I
know what to expect, how best to manipulate a
scene and what sort of kit works best. I went from
my Hoya filter to getting a Nikon D7000 converted
and then a year ago went ‘all in’ and converted my
Nikon D800 with a 720nm filter.
There’s no going back on a sensor-level filter
conversion so it was a big step, but I have no regrets.
I used Advanced Camera Services (www.
advancedcameraservices.co.uk), which supplied me
with an excellent product and service. A DSLR
sensor conversion will cost about £300 when you’re
ready to make that final commitment.
FOCUSING
You’ll need to take extra care with focusing if
you’re using an infrared filter, as lenses are
designed to focus on visible – not infrared –
light. To compensate for this, it’s advisable to
offset your focus. While not so prevalent on
modern lenses, many optics carry an infrared
focus marker to indicate how far you must
offset your focus to compensate for infrared light. This is merely a guide,
as it will vary depending on the filter you use, and so long as an aperture of
around f/8-f/11 is used it should be enough to ensure that the depth of field
is sufficient to be maintained throughout the scene.
37
 L A N D S C A P E S

STEP BY STEP Use the bright, blue-sky

days of summer to your
Shooting infrared really shouldn’t
advantage
change the conventional approach to
creating a compelling image. Use
shadow to create depth, and be aware
of your subject matter, the position of
your light source and what you want
your final frame to say. A lot of infrared
images I see are tonally flat and
compositionally weak because the
photographer has got carried away
with the fact they are using the infrared
spectrum and forgotten about
everything else. So remember it’s about
showing your subject in the most
captivating way. Here I’ll go through
the processes needed to get from a
somewhat pink raw file to a nice
contrasty monochromatic image.

1 TAKING THE SHOT
Don’t be alarmed – if you’re using a filter like the Hoya
R72 this is what your file is going to look like. Use a
tripod, a low ISO sensitivity, focus via live view and
2500K white balance. It’s trial and error on the exposure
time. Check your histogram to ensure you don’t blow
your highlights.
2 OPEN THE RAW FILE
Opening the raw file in the Adobe Camera Raw interface
in Photoshop gives us our first chance to improve the
shot. The base image will have relatively low contrast
and a heavy pink cast. Use this opportunity to remove
any sensor dust using the Spot Removal tool.
3 ADJUST WHITE BALANCE
Now take the White Balance Eyedropper tool (third tool
from top left) and click the foliage areas in the frame to
neutralise the white balance and deal with the heavy
pink cast. Capture NX for Nikon cameras also completes
this task exceptionally well. Increase the Whites and
deepen the Blacks using the sliders.

4 COLOUR CHANNEL CHANGES 5 FALSE-COLOUR INFRARED 6 FINAL FRAME

Now open the image in the full Photoshop interface. Go
to Image>Adjustments>Channel Mixer and make the
changes as shown above in the Red and Blue colour
channels (i.e. Red 100%, Blue 100%). Creating a
Photoshop Action for this step is useful. The result will be
something that’s starting to look more usable.
At this point your file should look something like the
image above. This is where you can choose to explore
false-colour infrared and experiment further or convert
the image to mono and work on tonal contrasts. I use
Silver Efex Pro 2 as my mono conversion tool of choice.
This is the end result, and one I’m particularly happy
with. Taken on Exmoor with the Nikon D800, I love
the fine details on show here. I used the bright light
in the middle of a summer’s day and still got an
abundance of tone, texture and dynamic contrast
thanks to my positioning.

38
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 L A N D S C A P E S

Into
the
light
The use of creative early morning
light can transform your garden
pictures. Clive Nichols explains how
to do it
FOR THOSE PEOPLE who like their bed, getting up
in what is effectively the middle of the night to catch
the dawn light is not an attractive proposition. In
the summer months this means getting out,
travelling to a public garden and being in position to
shoot before the sun rises at around 4.30am.
However, sometimes you just have to suffer for your
art. Those who have never photographed at this
time of day don’t know what they are missing.
My dedication to getting the best possible garden
shots means that I’m prepared to set my alarm clock
regularly at an unearthly hour, or sometimes
not even go to bed at all. This is because the early
morning is my favourite time to take garden
pictures. The quality of light at that time of
day often gives a unique and almost magical
atmosphere, as well as a sense of drama to a garden.

ADVANTAGES
There are plenty of advantages to shooting in the
early morning. If it’s a sunny day, you have the
pleasure of shooting with rich, warm, early morning
sunlight. Early morning mist can really add to a
shot’s atmosphere, and when the sunlight is passing
through it the mist can take on a lovely pale-gold
hue. Morning dew is another element to consider,
and things such as spider webs are often dripping
WIDEANGLE LENS HOOD
KIT LIST

with moisture.
Another by-product of being up so early is LENS If you are shooting
towards the sun,
For shooting wider garden
that you’re likely to be the only person in the garden scenes or combinations of attaching a hood to your
at the time, so you won’t need to worry about other plants, without too much lens will significantly
visitors getting in the middle of your shot. The main distortion, a wideangle reduce or eliminate flare.
zoom such as the By cutting out extraneous
reason I like photographing at this time of day is so light, it will also help
24-70mm on full-frame
that I can shoot towards the sun and backlight the cameras is a suitable you get an accurate
subject – whether that’s a wider garden scene, choice. exposure reading.
individual plants or combinations of plants. Subjects
40

SHUTTER
RELEASE
Again, if you are using
long exposures, a shutter
release (combined with the
camera’s mirror lock-up
facility) will avoid any tiny
movements of the camera
that would reduce the
sharpness of your images.
REFLECTOR
If you’re photographing
backlit flowers or plants, it
can sometimes be useful
to knock some light back
on the front of the subject
and fill in shadows. I use
Lastolite reflectors, about a
metre across.
CLIVE
NICHOLS
During the past 25 years,
Clive Nichols has established
a reputation as one of the
world’s finest garden
photographers and has
amassed more than 60,000
images. He gives
photography masterclasses
for the RHS and is a judge
on the International Garden
Photographer of the Year
contest. Visit his website at
www.clivenichols.com
41
 l a n d s c a p e s

A fantastic display of
late-summer colour
captured at dawn at
Waterperry Gardens in
Oxfordshire

Try using a shallow

depth of feld to isolate
some subjects and throw
others in the background
out of focus

really come alive when they are backlit, and the

resulting rim lighting on things such as grasses or
snowdrops gives them an added sparkle.
The fact that the sun is low in the sky means that
you also get long, raking shadows, which you can
use to give an enhanced sense of depth and a
three-dimensional appearance to garden scenes.

Potential Pitfalls
Shooting into the sun does have potential pitfalls.
The bright background can result in an
underexposed subject in the foreground. There are
various post-capture techniques that you can use to
overcome this problem, including Quick Mask and
HDR imaging, but I generally prefer to get the image
as good as I can in-camera and overexpose the
image when shooting [see page 45].
The other problem with shooting backlit images is
that you run the risk of lens flare spoiling your
pictures. However, this can easily be avoided by
shooting with the sun just outside your frame,
or using a lens hood. Another alternative is to adjust
your position until you can use foliage to block all,
or most of the sunlight hitting your lens.
In any case, there are times when letting a bit of
lens flare into your images actually enhances them.
The picture on pages 40-41 is a good example. Here
I was attracted to the way the sunlight was picking
out different flowers and plants in the border. The
sun was partly obscured by the trees, but the shaft of
light that it threw across the frame is an attractive
addition to the image, which, I think, contributes to
its appeal. However, if you’re shooting individual
plants and want a striking backlighting effect, try
42
FRAMING
Framing a view of a garden with something
else, such as leaves or branches, works
particularly well when the subject is backlit.
This shot was taken at Pettifers garden in
Oxfordshire, where I was able to use the
backlit rose arbour to frame a view of the
garden beyond. It also had the effect of
blocking the sunlight and removing the
possibility of lens flare in the picture.
This picture works for a variety of reasons.
The early morning light is casting long shadows
and picking out textures in the grass. The roses
framing the scene (and the falling petals in the
foreground) give depth to the picture, as well
as some lovely splashes of colour.
The other visual device I’ve used is the
pathway, which leads the eye into the picture
from the bottom of the frame to the middle
distance. It was impossible to expose the
whole scene correctly in one frame, so I
exposed for the highlights through the gap
and used Quick Mask in Photoshop to lighten
the foreground.
 l a n d s c a p e s

shooting with the subject shown against a dark or

shadowy background. The rim-lit subject will stand
out all the more. Some fowers, such as irises, look
particularly good when backlit, but it’s a technique
works well with a range of garden subjects.

PreParation
To make sure that you’re going to get a good dose of
sunlight for backlighting, it’s a good idea to check
the weather forecast beforehand. I use www.bbc.co.
uk/weather and/or www.metcheck.com. If you want
to check the way the sun is going to fall on a specifc
garden at a particular time in the morning, there are
various Freefone and browser apps that will give you
that information. Type ‘sun position app for
photographers’ into Google and choose the one that
suits you best.
As far as your kit bag is concerned, you won’t need
lots of equipment in order to create the perfect
backlit garden shot, but there are a few accessories
that would be useful (see pages 40-41). If a clear,
bright morning is forecast, the most important thing
is to get to the location early enough to catch the Use an app to fnd out
kind of beautiful light that can transform your which way the sun will
fall on a particular garden
pictures. Remember, you can catch up on your sleep at a specifc time
at any time, but the light won’t wait for you.

ideas to try
If you pick a good garden that’s well planted, well structured and has plenty
of variety, you’re not going to be short of subject matter. Look for features
such as summerhouses or sundials being picked out by the morning light,
and watch how the sun falls on different areas of the garden as the sun rises.
Here are a few suggestions of what you can look for, plus a couple of ideas
to try if the hoped-for sunlight doesn’t materialise.

sUbject
movement
Another approach – when the
early morning light isn’t so good
and there’s wind blowing the
foliage around – is to use a small
aperture and a long shutter
speed. Here I’ve used the
Using water conditions to my advantage by
using an exposure of 2secs at f/32
Water features such as fountains look wonderful when they are backlit
and the water spray is illuminated against a dark backdrop. In this image, and recorded the movement as an
water has also played another role, as the mist in the background comes impressionistic blur.
from water vapour rising off a river that is out of shot.
44
 OVEREXPOSURE
When your subject is backlit, you sometimes
need to overexpose it. When shooting these
snowdrops at Colesbourne Park, Gloucestershire,
I got down to ground level and shot towards the
light using a 180mm macro. The brightness of
the background was influencing the camera’s
lightmeter, so I overexposed by 2 stops to keep
the snowdrops bright. In general, try
overexposing by 1 stop – increasing it by 1/2-stop
increments until you’re happy. You don’t want to
clip the highlights so the whites burn out, so
check the histogram. You want the curve as far
to the right as possible without clipping.

HIGHLIGHTING
FEATURES
The highlight and shadow
areas created by backlight
can be used to focus
attention on garden
features, such as this
summerhouse at Wollerton
Old Hall Garden in
Shropshire. The sunlit,
lavender-coloured flowers in
the foreground stand out
more than they would
later in the day, contrasting
with the shadow areas.

MIST
If you get to a location early and the
sun isn’t shining, try using muted BORDERS
early morning light to create an Borders are a great subject for backlighting.
atmosphere. Here I cropped in on the As you can see in this picture, the sun is highlighting
trunks in this grove of birch trees with different plants, rimlighting some of the tulips and
my 70-200mm zoom and used the illuminating parts of the leaves. At the same time,
mist as a backdrop. The soft light has I’ve retained detail in the shadow areas, which gives
brought out the detail in the bark of a rich variation in tones.
the scrubbed white trees.
45
 N AT U R E

Foxes have adapted

incredibly well to
living in the city

Fox hunt
Whether you’re in the city or the countryside,
Luke Massey explains that foxes make fantastic
subjects to photograph and are often approachable
ALL IMAGES LUKE MASSEY
FOXES ARE A TRUE Marmite animal – you either
love them or hate them. For me, foxes are incredible.
There aren’t many species in the world that have
adapted so well to the invasion of humans into their
habitats. Foxes have embraced us by moving into
our cities to raid our dustbins and pick up discarded
food scraps. Every so often a tabloid runs a story
about a fox the size of a bear attempting to feast on a
baby, but during my many encounters with foxes,
both on our city streets and in more rural
surroundings, I can’t say I’ve felt that I’ve been in
any danger. The best thing about foxes is that they
make great photographic subjects. Many people go
on about how boring British wildlife is, but it’s not.
We have a fantastic array of species and foxes are
right at the top of the ‘must-photograph’ list. For
personality and looks, and all-round photo
opportunities, foxes are, in my opinion, one of the
best animals in the world to photograph.
The bonus with foxes is that you’ll find them
pretty much everywhere. Whether you’re in the

WIDEANGLE LENS TELEPHOTO LENS HIDE

KIT LIST

Using a wideangle lens will be a little
trickier with rural foxes, but you could
still try with an infrared
set-up. You can often
get quite close to urban
foxes, and with a bit of
bait and a remote you
should get some nice
photographs.
You will need a telephoto lens, and anything from I’m not just talking about
300-600mm should be ample. This will be a huge a glorified green tent,
help when shooting rural foxes. For urban foxes which will help a lot with
this might be too much, so rural foxes. If urban foxes
pack
don’t forget to pa are a bit wary of you,
a wide and then use the most-owned
smaller zoom. A hide on earth and
70-200mm will something the foxes will
be perfect. be used to – yes, your car.

46

REFERENCE
BOOK
The internet is a wonderful
thing, but so are bookshops.
There has been a huge
amount of study of both rural
and urban foxes, so pick up a
book and have a good read.
You will find out loads about
these fantastic creatures.
If you’re lucky
enough to find a
den, you may see
some cubs
LUKE
MASSEY
Luke Massey is a 23-year-old
wildlife photographer and
cameraman, who has been
taking pictures since he was
DOG TREATS 12. His passion for nature
Some people disagree with
giving food to foxes, which
and conservation has led
him all over the world, but
is fine. I use dog treats, he always returns to the
but make sure they’re not incredible wildlife of the UK.
visible in your shots and See more at www.
don’t let the foxes gorge lmasseyimages.com or at
on them. Use the treats to Luke Massey Images on
gain their interest and Facebook.
then stop feeding them.
47
 N AT U R E

You’ll find foxes absolutely

anywhere. You never know,
there may be one
living along your road

countryside or in the heart of the city, with a bit of

searching you’ll probably come across them. And
when cubs emerge during the spring months (the GO WIDE
cubs can be seen any time from April to July) foxes
will be a lot more noticeable and the cubs are There has been a surge in DSL
DSLR
incredibly photogenic. camera trapping: complicated
infrared-beam kits have been
IN THE URBAN JUNGLE joined by simple, affordable
versions. The Camtraptions kit,
Let’s start in the city. Foxes can den absolutely
for instance, is lightweight and very simple. This, combined with a
anywhere. I’ve seen them nestled in dense shrubbery wideangle on a DSLR, can get great results in rural and urban surroundings.
without even digging a hole, and squeezed You can also get good wideangle shots using a remote (or a very tame fox).
underneath a shed or some decking. Foxes in the With a few well-placed treats (on top of the lens hood is ideal) and a
city will be used to seeing and smelling people, so remote, a fox will come very close. Don’t blast away – a few clicks is enough.
you can get away with a lot more than you can with
their rural cousins.
If you’re struggling to find a fox, try to think like
one. One of the first places I try is near train
stations, where there’s a plentiful supply of food and
a good amount of cover. Embankments provide
perfect homes for foxes, and with the constant flow
of people there’s always a few food scraps around.
If you have no luck at the station, talk to people.
Security guards and cleaners are mines of
information, as they are often around when foxes
come out. Some even have their own personal foxes
that they’re happy for someone else to enjoy. Urban
Camera traps let you
foxes are an easy target and more often than not are get unique shots
tolerant of humans.
48
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 n at u r e

Out in the sticks

Rural foxes are a whole different ball game.
Historically, they’ve been persecuted so they dislike
people. You might glimpse one running across a
country lane at night or bounding across a distant
feld, but that is all you’re going to see – foxes
running away from you.
Once a vixen has denned she becomes even more
secretive. Her aim is to raise her cubs safely and keep
them well hidden, so for the frst few weeks she’ll be
hard to fnd. Once her cubs are a little older she
hasn’t got much control and that’ll help you. Cubs
are noisy; they like playing and when mum is not
around they’ll happily frolic around near the den.
This is what you want to photograph and is the
occasion when you’re most likely to fnd them, but
you need to be careful because foxes are easily
spooked. Unlike in urban areas where foxes are more
tolerant of humans, if you get too close to a rural
den and the vixen sees or smells you she’ll most
likely move the cubs and you’ll be back to square
one. It’s best to keep a reasonable distance and don’t
be too intrusive.

Foxes can make great

photographic subjects
LUKe’s top tips

Fox cubs can be hard to

fnd, as the vixen will
keep them well hidden

in the hide BehaviOur

A canvas hide or a car will work well, although you may look
a little strange setting up a canvas hide on a street! To
position your hide correctly, work out where the light will fall
and be aware of smell. Don’t get too close and make sure you
place yourself with the wind blowing towards you, away from
the den site.
Foxes make a whole range of calls. Listening for and
recognising them, such as a vixen calling to her cubs, can help
you to locate the dens. Other calls can also alert you to the
fact that you are too close. When a vixen lets out an alarm
bark, that is a cue that your time with the cubs is about to
come to a swift end.

50
WHY IT
WORKS
Portraits of animals look
excellent, and in their
natural habitat, even
better. I’d been trying to
get this shot for a while,
but sometimes I’d get
ghosting, at other times
the fox would be
blinking, have its leg at a
funny angle or a dog
treat would be in shot.
At first I tried remote
shooting, but the fox
was wary of the camera
on its own. Yet when I
lay down with the
camera and pressed the Try shooting with flash
shutter the fox was a lot under mixed lighting
more tolerant.
I don’t want animals
becoming completely
tolerant, as some peple
might take advantage.
Luckily, these foxes
ONE THAT DIDN’T WORK
seemed to know who I
The bonus of using flash is that it can completely
was. They wouldn’t
freeze a subject, no matter how slow your shutter
approach other people
speed – so long as there is no other light source.
and at the slightest fast
When shooting urban foxes there are going to be
movement they would
jump back into the
a number of other light sources, from street lights The double exposure
flowerbeds to safety.
and security lamps to car headlights. didn’t quite work here
Sometimes you get it just right (see above),
Gaining a creature’s
when the fox doesn’t move and the lights don’t and street lights created a double exposure that
trust is a privilege and
affect it too much. A minute later the fox had resulted in ghosting. Sometimes you’ll get a cool
it’s nice to know they
moved (see right), and the combination of flash effect, but on this occasion it ruined the shot.
don’t think we’re all bad.

TIME OF DAY SIGNS LIGHT ISSUES

Early morning and evening are your prime times for fox
cub photography, when they are most active. However,
they can be out playing all day depending on the
conditions. If you’re incredibly lucky you might even get
the vixen suckling her cubs – this is the golden snitch of
fox cub photography.
Foxes aren’t very clean, they smell and they leave a mess.
They can den anywhere and in some surprisingly small
holes. Take your binoculars and study them. If you spot
fur, lots of flies and bits of dead animal, you’ll probably
have found a den. Don’t get too close, though, as you’re
unlikely to see cubs if you do.
Foxes can hang out in gloomy areas and they’re mainly
nocturnal. This isn’t ideal for photography, but there are
solutions. In urban spaces street lights are a blessing, so
with a relatively high ISO and suitable shutter speed
(1/80-1/200sec) you can get good shots. Flash is also an
option, depending on your distance.

51
 N AT U R E

Little owls These pint-sized owls are full of character, making them one of the most
enjoyable owl species to photograph, as Richard Peters reveals

Little owls can be found

across England and Wales

LITTLE OWLS WERE ORIGINALLY introduced to

the UK in the 19th century, but in recent years there
has been a slow but steady decline in the bird’s
population. Although active during the day and
night, little owls can often be hard to spot during
daylight hours due to their small size and their dark
grey and brown feathers, which allow them to blend
in with their surroundings incredibly well.

HABITAT
These wonderful little birds like farms and open
Little owls can be seen during the day, but may woodland, so an easy way to spot them is to keep an
be hard to spot due to their small size
eye on the roofs of farm buildings and the tops of
fences and telegraph posts. Trees, especially oaks,
A little owl catching the first rays provide another favourite nesting opportunity, so
of sun shining through an oak look for holes in the trunks, especially ones that are
tree’s branches clear of cobwebs. Another tell-tale sign is the
distinctive hissing sound the young make in the nest.

BEST TIME TO SHOOT

Little owls are most active at night, when they prefer
to hunt, so the best sightings can often be had late in
the evening when the hunting starts, or first thing in
the morning as it slows. If they are nesting near an
area that has a relatively high footfall, such as parks
or footpaths, they are more likely to stay hidden
ALL PICTURES © RICHARD PETERS

from view during the day. The breeding season starts

in March and many little owls lay eggs in April and
May, so May and June could provide a higher rate of
activity as the young hatch and require feeding.

BINOCULARS ABOUT THE LITTLE OWL

IST
KIT LIST

Binoculars will give you a

much-needed advantage
as the owls have a
It may be small by name, but
tendency to ssee you
the little owl has possibly the
and hid
biggest character of all the
owl species.
● Location: widespread
TELEPHOTO LENS across England and Wales,
Given their size, and the occasional with limited numbers in
difficulty in getting close, a focal length of southern Scotland.
400mm and above is often needed to ● Size: both males and
ensure minimal disturbance females are 21-23cm tall.
● Nest: farmland, open
woodland, parkland and
copses. Farm buildings and oak
trees are especially favoured.
● Diet: mainly insects such as
worms and beetles, but
small mammals and birds are
also on the menu.
● Population: an estimated
5,700 breeding pairs.

52
 SHOOTING
ADVICE
WATCH QUIETLY
Successfully capturing the
little owl on camera can
be done in a variety of
ways. I have done so from
a car, a pop-up hide and
also by just sitting,
uncovered under an
adjacent tree in a park. In
all cases, the key is to sit
and wait quietly and
patiently.
Although they may
shy away from view
initially, little owls are
creatures of habit and will
always return once they
realise that there is no
danger present.
Watching them, you
will also see that when
another person or car
goes by, they hide until
the coast is clear.
This is why they can
sometimes be hard to spot
initially, because they will
always see you long
before you see them.

DISTANCE
All animals have a circle of
fear and little owls are no
different. Aside from
taking flight if spooked,
they will also bob their
heads up and down at any
sign of danger. Depending
on the nest location, their
tolerance will vary, but it’s
always important to
ensure you do not cause
any stress or disturbance.
Always back away if they
seem to be upset by your
presence.

PERCHES
Little owls have favoured
perches and sunning
spots, but they especially
enjoy being up high in
order to spot and drop
down on prey. So if you
find a nice broken branch
or old post nearby,
standing it upright will
often result in the owl
Three owlets checking it out.
peering out of the
nest, awaiting food

53
 N AT U R E

Swallows
The end of summer and beginning of autumn is a great time to
shoot these migratory birds, explains David Tipling

IF I WERE A BIRD I would like to be a swallow. It Swallows HABITAT

seems very appealing to spend the winter under the
warm Southern African sun before lazily making my
way back north, arriving at my favoured
breeding site in the spring just as the weather
begins to warm up.
However, the reality is much more harsh,
with swallows having to undergo an
arduous annual journey across seas and
desert that sees them cover many thousands
of miles on the wing.
can
You’ll find swallows in areas where there is a ready
be found
across most and accessible supply of their main diet, small
of Britain insects. A good place to find swallows is open
pasture with access to water, as it offers a good food
source, while quiet farm buildings nearby offer the
perfect place to nest.
Towards the end of the summer months through
to the start of early autumn, large reed beds can be
excellent places to look for pre-migration roosts as
they prepare for the flight back to Africa.

Try to pre-focus on a point, to have

FLASHGUN
KIT LIST

any hope of a sharp flight shot

Swallow nests are rarely
sited in well-lit corners
of buildings and so
a flashgun will almost
certainly be required.

TELEPHOTO LENS
A lens of at least 400mm is recommended.
Shorter lenses with the use of a remote
trigger may be useful for photographing
nesting swallows

54
 SHOOTING
ADVICE
IN FLIGHT
Swallows tend to fly low
to the ground with an
easy free-flowing flight.
With their size and speed,
it does make them quite a
challenge for flight shots
against an open sky, but
when flying against the
landscape they’ll really
test your panning skills
and your camera’s
autofocus capability, so be
prepared to practise.

PRE-FOCUS
On cool days when flies
are in short supply, you’ll
find that swallows will
often congregate over
reed beds or bodies of
water where there may be
food. To have any hope of
a sharp flight shot, I try to
pre-focus and then track
the out-of-focus bird as
best I can in my
viewfinder, before firing
off a burst of shots when
the swallow begins to
come into focus. I have
BEST TIME TO SHOOT Shoot from a parked car successfully photographed
Swallows can be photographed any time from spring to avoid disturbing them swallows plucking flies
to autumn. I find that the best opportunities are off the surface of a pool
close to my home by using
between May and June when birds are breeding, and this method.
then when they gather to migrate from late August
through September. When they do start gathering in NESTLINGS
readiness to fly south for the winter, flocks often During the breeding
season flight shots are on
perch along telegraph wires. They can also be found
offer as birds feed their
lined up along fences or on low vegetation. To avoid young in the nest.
disturbing them, a parked car makes the perfect Nestlings make great
mobile hide and will allow you to shoot quietly. subjects as they lean over
the rim of the nest
begging for food. Once on

ABOUT THE SWALLOW

Swallows are small birds with
dark, glossy-blue backs, red
throats, pale underparts and
long tail streamers.
● Location: The swallow is a
traditional harbinger of spring
and is our most widespread
summer migrant. Found
throughout Britain, they are
most common in regions
Adults will hover in front of their the wing, the young will
young in order to feed stay close to the nest to
continue to be fed.
Further photographic
where cattle are grazed. opportunities are to be
● Size: 17-21cm including tail. had when fledglings are
● Nesting: The nest is a mud perched on a fence or on
cup built inside outbuildings. low vegetation, as adults
● Diet: Flying insects. Swallows will hover in front of
often feed by flying low around hungry mouths delivering
livestock, picking off flies. food. But be careful not to
● Population: Increasing slowly get too close, as you could
since the late 1990s, estimated put the adults off feeding
to be around 860,000. their young.

55
 t r av e l

10 commandments of
travel photography
three top travel photographers, including
the current travel Photographer of the
Year, share their expert tips for achieving
memorable images on the road

1 Learn your craft

and then be creative
We should all know technically what we are doing as
You’ll get much more
from your photography
if you know your kit 2 Make the
Most of
situations
photographers, whether we are professionals or Sometimes when you’re
amateurs. You get so much more from photography out with your camera
when you are in control of your equipment. If you let the light does something
your camera control everything, chances are you amazing or a certain
won’t get the creative look you are after. So, the frst drama begins to unfold
thing to do is to turn off any automatic settings, and in front of you, and you
that includes semi-automatic exposure modes such know instantly that it’s
as program, aperture priority and shutter priority. going to be good. this
I shoot in manual mode nearly all the time. It’s fne can often be an
being experimental and creative with your unexpected event –
photography, but as a professional, you need to be weather or people-
able to repeat it. So I decide what’s in focus, I decide related – so make the
the exposure, and I draw upon an arsenal of other most of such
technical tricks without having to think. opportunities.
With focusing, I prefer to use single-point aF, using More importantly, you
the focus and recompose technique rather than have to believe that they
continuous aF (although I sometimes use focus will never happen again.
tracking for wildlife). I often use manual focus too. In other words, you
I was photographing hummingbirds recently, and should seize the
switched to manual focus as the birds move so fast, moment. If you know
I wasn’t sure where they would come into the frame. something is good, you

56
 Learn to use daylight as a
creative tool for your images

3USE DAYLIGHT AS A CREATIVE

TOOL TO CONVEY EMOTION
Too many travel photographers don’t understand
how our minds can be changed by the quality of
light. If you want an image to feel ‘sensitive’ for
example, a hard light on a subject’s face won’t work.
If you can backlight the subject or use flare from the
sun, you are using daylight to add a third dimension
to your image. The first dimension is you and your
framing, the second is the subject, and the third is
ALL PICTURES THESE PAGES © PHILIP LEE HARVEY WWW.PHILIPLEEHARVEY.COM

the light. I am fanatical about using light to convey

emotion. It takes a conscious effort to do this, as we
have probably got used to shooting in a lot of flat
grey light here in the UK.
I also prefer to use ambient light and never use
flash – even fill flash – unless I am shooting at night,
as I don’t like the way it looks, but I do use white and
silver reflectors as the need arises. Essentially,
though, I try to stack the odds in my favour by
making sure I am out on location when the light
could be dramatic – sunrise, sunset or during a
storm, for example.

must exploit it, even

if that means sacrificing
what you were going to
do next, or pushing your
subjects just a bit harder
than you normally
would. I was shooting on
a beach in Java recently
and a huge storm was
about to break.
Everyone else went back
into the hotel, but I sat
out the storm and got
soaked, because I knew
it had the potential to
generate some really
dramatic skies.
We were after drama
on that shoot, so it was
the correct decision –
and well worth getting
wet for!
When opportunities arise, make
sure you seize the moment and
get the shot
57
 T R av e l

Don’t shoot and run – share your images as much as you can

4 Share the reSultS

When people have been generous with their
time and allowed you to photograph them, try to
repay the favour by providing them with prints. Most
places still have one-hour processing labs where you
can print a few 6x4in copies, which will always be
appreciated by the recipient. Returning later with
all pictures these pages © gaViN gOugh www.GAVINGOUGH.cOm

prints demonstrates that you appreciate the

generosity and hospitality that you were shown. It
also paves the way for the next photographer who
visits the same location. If you can, carry an instant
camera such as a Fujiflm Instax or a printer. There are
many occasions when I have returned to a location
one or two years after my frst visit to fnd those
treasured prints pinned to a wall or tucked inside
Work the scene
somebody’s wallet. Instant prints provide a wonderful
to ensure you’ve looked
way to break the ice, and rather than simply ‘taking’
at every perspective
photos, allow you to share the results.

Instant prints can be Once you fnd

treasured for years to come your spot, make
the most of
your location

58
 6 DON’T SHOOT
AND RUN
Once you’ve done the hard
work of finding a suitable
location, waiting for the
light, selecting an
appropriate lens and
choosing the perfect
perspective, don’t waste
it by shooting a frame or
two and then moving on.
Make the most of the
opportunity. Check your
exposures, fine-tune your
composition, tweak the
perspective and try different
apertures until you’re
confident that you’ve made
the image that you really
want. With landscapes and
cityscapes, you’ll usually
have as much time as you
need. With people, take the
opportunity to share the
images by showing them
previews from your
camera’s LCD screen. It will
help to make them feel
involved in the process,
creating a more
collaborative experience,
and you’ll also get the
opportunity to catch their
reaction when they see their
own image. People tend to
pose when they’re first
photographed, which can
lead to stiff, awkward
expressions. Allow people
the time to relax and enjoy
the process and you’ll create
more memorable travel
portraits.

5 TEA FIRST,
PHOTOGRAPHY SECOND
The best travel photography communicates a sense
Make time to
explore your
location without
your camera by
of place and shares something about the experience
of being in a specific location. To make effective your side
images, you need to know what that experience feels
like. Put your camera away, walk through the markets,
chat to the street vendors, explore the location fully,
observe how the light falls and search for locations
that will provide the best photographic opportunities.
Pausing for tea or chai gives me time to really observe
a location and inevitably leads to conversations with
local people. I know that the time I invest in exploring
without a camera – when I can think about the light,
about compositions and perspectives – will pay
dividends. Also, when I return to locations, people
might remember my face and an earlier conversation
we enjoyed, so they’re much more inclined to work on
creating a memorable portrait with me.

59
 t r av e l

Get down low to Consider how contrast

avoid distracting will play out in your
backgrounds image and how it affects
composition

7 Get down low to

minimise distractions
all pictures these pages © larry louie www.larrylouie.com

With the image of a tenger horseman in Indonesia

(above), I wanted to capture the early morning sky in
the background, as the morning sun hit the face of
both rider. I also wanted to give the horseman a
more grandiose pose, even though he was only
about 4ft tall! the only way I could do this was to lie
on the ground directly under the horse to capture
the shot. this also removed any distractions in the
background landscape, which could easily add
clutter to the image and take the viewer’s eye away
from the man.

Think about the

perspective you’re going
to be shooting as it can
be vital to the shot
8 look for a
different
perspective
In the absence of colour,
a photograph is reduced
to a symphony of light,
shapes, lines and texture;
composition and detail
become more prominent.
the perspective from
which a photograph is
taken is crucial, as light,
shape, lines and texture
can be emphasised or
downplayed. Not every
photograph needs to be
taken at eye level or
ground level, so look for
a different position to
create a better image.
When I was in Djenné,
Mali, photographing the
Great Mosque (see left),
I was in awe of the
enormity of the building.

60
 Remember to tell a story
with your images

9 STRIKE A VISUAL BALANCE

OF LIGHT AND SHADOW
I love the way black & white
photography removes any
of the emotion and feeling created by
colour (a beautiful red sunset may
evoke warmth and romanticism, for
example). To compensate for this loss
of colour, a black & white image
creates atmosphere and emotion
through its subject matter and
through lighting.
The photographer learns
to see shades of grey and contrast,
and must watch how highlights and
shadows are arranged within the
boundaries of the image. Positive
space is just as important as
negative space, so you need to pay
attention to the background as much
as the foreground, because it plays an
important role in the composition of
the image. This is called visual balance.
Note how the photograph here of the
two boys, carrying bags of charcoal to
sell at a market in Manila in the
Philippines, is balanced with fields of
light and shadow. I waited for the boys
to walk into the light to take the shot,
so their silhouettes contrast with the
background.
Meanwhile, the image of the
Nepalese temple (below), which
crumbled during the earthquake in
May, was taken one morning in early
winter. The fog with the birds created
several shades of grey, giving it a very
mysterious feel.
10CAPTURE THE
HUMAN CONNECTION
Travel photography to me is more than just a pretty
face in a pretty place. First and foremost, the image
should be interesting and you have to ask yourself
what do you want to show the viewer about this area
and why? Create a story and use local people in your
image. The way that the local subjects dress, act and
behave in their local environment can provide a
compelling story and will certainly create a more
powerful travel image.
The image must communicate something to the
viewer and evoke a response – a feeling. Sometimes
it should even make the viewer take a second look and
wonder what is going on. The local fishermen working
into the night along the Galata Bridge that spans the
Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey (above), can stimulate
many conversations, and anglers worldwide will be
able to identify with it.

I spent several hours While colour may be

walking around it, your first instinct, mono
figuring how I could best can be just as powerful
photograph this beautiful for travel photography
structure. I finally realised
I needed to be on higher
ground. With the help of
a local guide, I scouted
out a new vantage point
on the roof of a nearby
house. I returned the
next morning before
sunrise and waited for
the sun to appear to light
up the front of the
mosque. Luckily, a local
walked into my scene
and was lit by the sun’s
rays. He provided a great
sense of scale and
perspective. With the
higher viewpoint,
dramatic early morning
light and the figure in the
foreground, I created a
more memorable photo.

61
 P O R T R A I T S

A flashgun was fired

remotely from behind the
couple for this striking result

Creative coupling
One of the UK’s most successful wedding photographers,
Ross Harvey, reveals how to capture the magic of the day
ALL IMAGES ROSS HARVEY
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY has evolved. Gone are
the static images of formal, uncomfortably posed
couples smiling at the camera. Documentary
photography has become the new standard – real
emotions, real moments and real love.
However, the industry continues to evolve and
adapt. Documentary photography has become just
one of the skills in the modern wedding
photographer’s arsenal. Innovation is the new
currency and those who are both excited by and able
STANDARD ZOOM
KIT LIST
viewer enthralled and the story engaging.
To take emotive portraits the photographer must
be able to connect with couples on a personal level,
to get them to relax and share their emotions not
only with themselves, but also with the camera. It’s a
highly underestimated and crucial skill. The world’s
best photographers can elicit emotion and
connection, rather than rely on a vista as a backdrop.
Magic can be found by combining authenticity
with a specific balance of advanced composition and
intelligent use of light. Here are some tips and tricks
to help you accomplish such imagery.

to develop this transformation are thriving. So, what

Primes make you think more about what’s in the fram
frame,
skills are necessary to ride this wave? shots.
but I use a 24-70mm f/2.8 for any off-camera flashh sho
shot
Many. To reach the top tier of photographers you
must be versed in many aspects of photography. You
need to be a great documentary photographer to tell
the story accurately and be able to spot emotional
moments and combine multiple stories into a single
image. These images need to be shot in a manner in
which they flow from one to another, keeping the
62
 ROSS
HARVEY
Ross has a slew of accolades
and awards, including Best
Wedding Photographer in
England 2013 and 2014, and
a place on the Junebug
Wedding ‘Best in the World
Wedding Photographers’
roster. www.rossharvey.com

A CREATIVE STORY
A wedding is a story. It has a start and an end, with lots of events in
between. Tell that story through the lens with a relaxed, creative mindset.
Merging a creative perspective with a keen eye for documentary is a killer
combination. Look for emotions such as laughter, tears and hugs. Shoot
wide to give an overview and context, and shoot close to reveal intimacy
and secrets. If you flow with the day, the story will naturally reveal itself
through your vision. Always remember the mundane and repetitive can
be seen through an innovative eye. Is there another perspective to shoot
from? What frames can be used? Can multiple stories be told? Is there an
interesting patch of light? There are always options.

FRAMING
It’s easy to think of framing in a simplistic manner, such as an archway,
window or doorway. While these are frames, with a creative mindset you
can construct frames from much more. In this example, the couple is
framed by the pathway they are dancing on. Shifting the camera angle
and balancing the environment with a certain perspective can offer
surprising opportunities.

FAST PRIME
PRIMES FLASHGUNS
LASHGUNS TRIGGERS
RIGGERS
I’ve got a range of prime
primes Myy preference is for Radio-based
adio-based Phottix
and do 95% of my work on natural
atural light, but I use Odin
din triggers offer full
either the 35mm f/1.8G oor Nikon
ikon SB-910s for TTL
TL flash, as well as
f/1.4G. The f/1.4G is my dance-floor shots and the
he ability to remotely
thanks
professional choice thank off-camera images. control
ontrol power and
to the better contrast and oom settings.
zoom
colour reproduction.

63
 P O R T R A I T S

THE CAMERA
I’ve been very open and
public about my love for
Nikon gear, and have been
the catalyst for many
amateurs and professionals
to adopt or move to Nikon. I
adore the D3S – it’s been
my main camera for several
years and I’ve been a very
strong advocate of it as the
perfect wedding camera.
But with my two bodies
getting towards the
300,000 shutter point, it
was time to find a
replacement, which I did in RAPPORT PORTRAITS
the D750. It’s basically a Being personable is not just beneficial for portraits; it’s If you spend as much time researching communication, rapport and body language as
mini D3S. Nothing on the invaluable all day. Take time to get to know the people you do researching creative shooting techniques, prepare to become a high-calibre
market can match its you’re shooting, be a friendly face in the crowd, one that portrait photographer. Only those with great communication skills can gently encourage a
combination of price, size, people feel happy to speak to. You’ll find that they’ll be couple to completely relax and allow their true emotions and love to shine through.
weight and performance. It themselves around you and sometimes you’ll be witness Before you shoot, tell them how easy it is, relax their expectations and give them some
is an absolute gem. to wonderful moments that are absolutely invaluable to pointers. Assure them they don’t need to be models and strike awkward poses, and
friends and family. remind them that they just need to be themselves and enjoy each other’s company.

64
DIFFERENT LIGHT, FINALLY...
DIFFERENT OPTIONS
To develop the notion of using light creatively, imagine a sunny day at noon.
Always shoot for the couple. Give
them everything you have. Don’t
ever do it for the money – if you
PROCESSING
This time of day is often considered harsh and unflattering. The above image
was taken on such a day, but it was taken from under a tree and the shade do, your lack of compassion will
come through. It’s a social I do three runs on my post-processing – two in
offered a different exposure to that of the bright surroundings.
occasion and you need great social Lightroom and one in Photoshop. The first is

GEOMETRY skills. If you’re upbeat and getting the crop and adjusting the white
positive, that will naturally shine balance to ensure the colours are correct. Then
The subconscious mind loves geometry; it can be thought of as ordered I make sure the white balance is consistent
through in your attitude and be
form. Perspective, leading lines, reflection and symmetry all fall into this throughout the set before applying sharpening
represented in your work. What
category. Note the symmetry in the accompanying image; the left and
we create is a complete expression and exporting into Photoshop. I find
right sides are essentially mirrors of each other. The couple is placed in
of our state of being – our fears, sharpening in Lightroom to be pretty feeble,
the centre of the space to uphold the neat positioning of the frame. Don’t
hopes, loves and dreams. but at www.photographers-toolbox.com
be afraid to crop slightly to achieve the perfect symmetry in post-
there’s a great plug-in for Lightroom called
processing. It’s incredibly hard to perfect it in camera.
Mogrify 2. It tends to be used for watermarking
images, but this is a little gem as it’s got an
unsharp mask filter just like Photoshop. I use
that over the sharpening tab in Lightroom, but
only minimally as it’s quite strong.
Once in Photoshop I do my cleaning phase
to get my shots clear and consistent, giving
the viewer a feeling of cleanliness and space.
I went through a stage where I thought I
could process a wedding in two hours –
wonderful – but I then realised that the more
effort I put in, the better it would look and the
more I would be giving to the couple, so my
processing stage
has actually got
longer and
longer, and I
spend much
more time on the
finer details.

65
 P O R T R A I T S

WE ARE BOMBARDED by thousands of images

every day. Many of these we instantly forget, but
some catch our eye and it’s those images that we
remember. So how can we make sure that our
portrait images are the ones that get noticed and are
remembered?
The next time a photograph catches your eye, take
note of what it is that attracted your attention. It
could be any number of things, such as an image that
tells a story or an image that makes you look at it a
little longer because your eye has to do a little more
work. It’s these types of photographs, the ones that
give our eyes a bit of a workout, that I want to explore.
There are many ways to achieve this ‘visual
workout’, but I want to look at a number of in-camera
techniques that are often the most successful. You can
get interesting results with software and apps, but
certain looks can never truly be recreated with filters
and plug-ins alone, so good old-fashioned camera
tips and tricks are a great place to start.
One of the most successful ways to create
interesting in-camera results is through lens
distortion. The basis for this technique is using
anything that distorts the light as it enters the lens.
This involves shooting through a variety of
transparent objects, such as glass and plastics, or
using an even more creative solution to get the
desired results.

Creative
distortion
Get your portraits noticed with some clever in-camera
lens-distortion techniques that don’t cost the earth, says Jake Hicks
ALL IMAGES JAKE HICKS

67
 P O R T R A I T S

This shot was taken between two

crystals held either side of the lens. By THE WORLD
shining light directly at the crystals,
you can create additional colours and
highlights in the foreground
AROUND YOU
Let’s start with the easiest technique,
which involves you taking a look around
you to see if there is anything that you
think you could use to shoot through or
around. Maybe you could simply
recompose a shot so that something
nearby is included in the corner of the
frame. A glass door, a shiny chair or even
something reflective like bare metal will
all create interesting results, so long as
you abide by one simple rule – a shallow
depth of field.
If your whole scene is in focus
it is going to be too busy, and generally
an object that is in focus closer to the
camera lens will always dominate the
subject that is in the background.
However, if you set your camera to a
shallow aperture of around f/2.8 or wider,
then so long as you focus on your
subject in the background, the
foreground will be thrown into a lovely
soft focus, meaning that the viewer’s
attention will always go to your subject.

THE GLASS PRISM

This
his is one of the easiest lens-distortion
techniques
echniques to implement. Keep a glass
prism
rism in your camera bag and when
ou’ve
u’ve found the shot you want to take,
simplyply hold the glass prism in front of
your lens. As the light enters the prism In this shot the prism is held over the

CRYSTAL
CRYSTALS
RYSTALS
YSTALS
it will refract and show the lens a sliver top half of the lens. The reflection is
of a different scene. If you don’t like the the top half of some Venetian blinds
image the prism is showing, you can that are just out of shot, which
Crystals produce a slightly
slig
s mo e
simply
imply rotate the prism until you find a is bleeding into the frame and adding
distorted look than a pri
look that you do like. depth and interest to the image
holding a crystal, or s ystals,
stals,
directly in front of your lens, you can
create some gorgeous colours and
bokeh effects. For the best results, try
to get your hands on some antique
crystal. This slightly older crystal was
coated in a very thin film of lead,
which produces gorgeous rainbow
colours as you look through it.

68
 TOP TIPS
1 If you are planning to
hold items in front of
your lens like crystals and
prisms, you have to shoot
with a very shallow depth
of field. If you don’t, both
your subject and your
distortion object will be in
focus, so the viewer won’t
know what to look at.

2 It can be easier to to
throw foreground
objects out of focus with a
slightly longer lens. I
wouldn’t try this using a
lens any wider than
50mm on a full-frame
camera, as it may make
your scene too busy and it
will be harder to get the
This shot was taken smooth and creamy
through some net soft-focus foreground
curtains and available objects you’re after.
glassware. A shallow
depth of field ensures the
foreground elements are
3 Whether you are using
objects that you hold in
front of the camera, like
completely out of focus crystals and glassware, or
simply lens filters, you’ll
achieve more interesting

WINE GLASS
results by shining light
back towards the lens. By
shining light into the lens
you are in effect lighting
A humble wine glass or tumbler can the object you are
be held in front of the lens to refract holding. This will create
and distort the light. Try to find glass highlights and sparkles
that has patterns cut into it or
that will appear as bokeh.
interesting stems, as these will
produce the best results. One tip when
4 Don’t be afraid to try
different objects to
shoot through. If you’re
using these is to try to have some light
using a shallow depth of
shining towards the lens as well,
field and lighting it
because this will catch on the facets of
correctly, nearly anything
the glassware and cast highlights and can work. Effective objects
sparkles onto the image. are transparent in some
way and are faceted, such
as wine glasses. The
designs on glassware
create highlight interest in
the foreground of a shot.

5 Think about what you

want to achieve. Are
you just trying to create
depth or are you trying to
lead your viewer’s eye
through an image by
hiding distractions?
Holding objects in front of
By simply holding up a patterned wine glass to your the lens can create
lens, you can create striking refractions and interest and mystery, but
distortion. Ensure you have some light directed back just be careful they don’t
towards the lens overpower the subject.

69
 P O R T R A I T S
OPTICAL IMPERFECTIONS
Distortion techniques are fun to play
with, but can be overpowering if not
used sparingly. To avoid this, use a lens
that displays optical imperfections or
quirks rather than some of the modern
expensive pin-sharp lenses. Some
purpose-built optics have distortion
built in, so every shot will have an
individual look. Many modern lenses
don’t have those quirks that can
enliven an image, but Lensbaby’s
GET THE LOOK
1 SET UP THE LIGHTING
I’ve used classic clamshell lighting here with one Bowens
beauty dish above and a small softbox fill-light below. You
will need to add some light that will not only help to add
shape to your model, but will also shine directly into the lens.
70
recent Velvet 56mm has all the build
qualities and functionality of a modern
lens, as well as the ability to capture a
more nostalgic image. It has an artistic
feel, and with a sharp centre and softer
edges it is reminiscent of some vintage
lenses. At some of the wider apertures,
this lens creates a milky look that acts
like an inbuilt diffuser but without the
loss of contrast, so in the right lighting
you can create truly engaging images.
By simply screwing a
Using specialist lenses like the
diffusion filter to the front
Lensbaby Velvet can produce
of your lens, you can
images that don’t distract from
scatter the light that enters
the subject, leaving you with a
it to produce a lovely soft
very interesting yet clean and
glow around the subject
uncluttered image
DIFFUSION FILTERS
Lens filters may be less popular these days, but
software alone can’t replace them. Screwing a filter
on the front of your lens is far quicker and easier than
trying to recreate the look in Photoshop. I often carry
several diffusion filters in my bag, and once these are
screwed onto my lens they scatter any light that
enters the lens into a soft diffuse glow. This effect can
be very useful in a studio if you want to add interest
to your background through the introduction of flare.
2 DIRECT LIGHT
As we are trying to create lens flare, it is important that light
shines into the lens but is just out of shot. Here I have positioned
two gridded flash heads behind the model that are pointing
back towards the camera and lighting the model’s hair.
3 ADD COLOUR
To introduce some interest and colour to the shot, I have
added coloured gels to the two backlights. I have used orange
and blue as they are complementary colours and work well
together in an image.
LENSBABY
Shooting through various transparent objects is a
great way to experiment with lens distortions, but
if you want to get more consistent results every
time you may want to invest in the right tool for
the job and get the lens itself to do the hard work
for you. Thankfully, specialist companies like
Lensbaby can fulfil all your artistic desires when it
comes to lens distortions and there are a host of
specialist lenses for every occasion.
One of my favourites is the Lensbaby
Composer Pro Sweet 50 optic. I have used this
lens for many years to create dramatic portraits,
and with a little practice it can create some very
interesting results quickly and easily. The
Composer Pro works by splitting the lens barrel
tilted plane of
on a ball joint, resulting in a ti
focus. This means that you c can f
on a person’s face, and then ttilt
the lens to throw the bottom half
of the image out of focus. It’s
great for leading the viewer’s
eye through an image.

The Lensbaby Composer Pro is used here

subject’s
to draw the viewer’s eye up to the subjec
the
face. By tilting the lens, you can throw th
bottom half of the image out of focus,
leaving the main subject unaffected

4 DIFFUSION
Now the fun begins because all
I have done here is add a diffusion
filter to the lens of my camera. The
diffusion filter is scattering the
coloured light as it enters my lens,
giving this fantastic flare effect.

5 SHOOT-
THROUGH
To finish off the look, I have used
the Lensbaby Composer Pro Sweet
50. You can see how it blurs the
bottom of the image, drawing the
viewer’s attention right up to the
focused area of the model’s eyes.

71
 p o r t r a i t s

Gels can really add

drama to your fash-lit
images

Back in
fashion
More accessible than ever, coloured
lighting can add drama to your
portraits, as Jake Hicks reveals
all images JaKe HiCKs
COLOURED LIGHTING has been part of our visual
storytelling process as far back as the 1600s, when
Shakespearean theatre lights were shone through red
wine to alter the colour and mood of a scene. When
colour film became popular in the 1940s the process
was adopted by cinema, and cinematographers
would often use coloured lighting to tell a story and
create a mood. For example, they would add yellow
and orange gelatin sheets in front of lights to
simulate sunsets and sunrises. Although we no
longer use gelatin sheets the name ‘coloured gels’
stuck, and stills photographers use the technique to
add dramatic coloured effects to their work for a
more artistic look.
The use of coloured gels in photography reached
fever pitch in the 1980s, but as the colour
combinations became more and more garish and
visually offensive they eventually fell out of fashion.
It’s only recently that coloured gels have seen a
resurgence, with digital photography empowering
a new generation of photographers to experiment
with colour.

TECHNICAL OR ARTISTIC?
Coloured lighting and the use of coloured gels fall
into two main categories – technical colour
correction and artistic effect. Technical colour
correction is used for matching a tungsten bulb
colour to the colour outside and is especially useful
on location shoots. For example, you could be trying

Coloured gels deliver a

very cinematic quality
to your shots

ALL PICTURES © JAKE HICKS

73
 P O R T R A I T S

EASY SET-UP
A handy technique for
adding colour to your shots

This lighting technique is one of the

easiest ways to get great-looking colour
into your shots. Start by selecting your
preferred key light – I used a 21in silver beauty
dish here, but a small softbox will work equally
well. I then added a little fill light via a small
softbox on the floor below the model, but
a well-placed silver reflector will do just as
well. I then added the colour via two hard
lights behind the model pointed back towards Don’t underestimate the
the camera and aimed at the sides of the power colour has on
model’s head. These two lights have grids on viewers’ perception of a shot
them to control the spill of light and are angled
just far enough away from the lens to minimise
the introduction of flare. The fill softbox is to light a model with a standard house light and
metered one stop under the key light and the daylight is coming in through a window in the
two coloured gel lights are metered one stop
background of the shot. Without colour correcting
above the key light.
the warm tones of the tungsten bulb, the model will
look orange, so you’d need to add a colour
temperature blue (CTB) gel to your lamp to match
the colour of the background daylight.
These colour adjustments are often very similar to
white balancing on your camera and are only really
Basic colour theory will help you
choose colours that complement useful to know when you have more than one colour
each other temperature within the same shot. Although the
technical colour correction is useful, it’s not as fun as
using coloured gels for artistic effect, and this is what
we’ll explore in more detail here.

Two hard lights behind

USING COLOUR WISELY
the model add colour Using coloured gels in your photographs can be a
great way of making images stand out, but don’t
underestimate the power that colour has on viewers’
74
 When combining

TOP TIPS colours, bear in

mind some basic
colour theory

1 Be mindful of the mood

certain colours will
convey. Shooting with red
and green will often leave
an image looking like a
Christmas card; while
using red and blue can, at
times, make a photograph
look like a scene from
a police chase.

2 When combining
colours, try to bear in
mind some basic colour
theory. Complementary
colours such as orange
and blue, and purple and
yellow will always work
well together. It’s also
vital to understand the
styling of the shot, and
base your colour theory
around the colours of a
model’s outfit.

3 If you plan on using

coloured gels on model
shoots, be aware of your
colours spilling onto the
model’s skin. This can
create unwanted effects
such as unflattering shine,
and strange hues as it
mixes with skin tones.

4 If you’re going to be
combining more than
one coloured gel in a shot,
place your lights so they
don’t contaminate each
other. When two colours
mix within an image they
can sometimes create
undesirable colours. To
avoid this to place your
subject between the two
colours, resulting in them
falling on either side, but
never actually meeting.

5 Remember that under

or overexposingyour
coloured gels will create
different colours and this
is down to personal taste
rather than being right
and wrong. For example,
underexposing an orange
gel will give you a rich
golden brown, whereas
overexposing it will give
you a sunburst yellow.
Experiment and see what
variations you get from
over and underexposing.

75
 P O R T R A I T S
perception of a shot. Think about what you’d like to
convey with the colours you’re using, as certain
colours will always affect us in certain ways.
For example, we all know red is a very powerful
colour but depending on the context it can convey
very different messages. If you use a lot of red
lighting in a boudoir shoot it will convey ideas of
love and lust, but red lighting used in conjunction
with a boxer will portray power and anger. As a rule,
reds tend to evoke more energy and passion whereas
cooler colours such as blues evoke calmer and more
centred feelings. As a result you’ll often see it used in
corporate photography shots.
As your confidence builds in using gels, it is then
possible to combine multiple colours, but you still
need to be careful about the message you’re
portraying. There are a couple of colour
combinations that you need to be wary of and treat
with extra care.
COLOUR COMBINATIONS
When colours like red and green are combined you
need to be extremely careful that the images don’t
look like a Christmas card. Together these two
colours have now become synonymous with the
season and as a result it’s very difficult to tell a
different story.
Another colour combination that we have been
programmed to recognise is red and blue. This
colour pairing is frequently used in films to
signify emergencies because they represent the
colours of sirens, and you need to be especially
careful when using them.
COLOUR THEORY
So now that we’ve taken note of some of the
colours we should be wary of, let’s take a look at
76
Under or overexposing
your lights will create
different colours
When using more than
one light, try to avoid the
two light sources
contaminating your shot
some good colour combinations we can start
playing with. As a standard guide I would always say
that complementary colours work well together.
Complementary colours are the colours opposite
one another on the colour wheel.
One colour pairing that never fails to impress is
orange and blue, a combination of colours that is
always pleasing to the eye. Just as red and green
symbolise Christmas, orange and blue symbolise the
warmth of a sunset or a beach, and the purity of the
sky or the sea. This colour combination can be
found all around us – from logos and design to films
and paintings.
GET THE
LOOK
There are times where you will want to
introduce coloured gels in a more subtle
way. One way of doing this is by diffusing
or softening the coloured light before it hits
the model. In this example I’ve used a
beauty dish and two different coloured gels
to achieve the desired result.
1 ADD MAIN LIGHT
The first thing you need to do is to set up your standard
portrait lighting by placing a beauty dish just above the
model’s head angled down at 45°. You could use a small
softbox but make sure it’s as close as possible to avoid too
Light is bounced off white much spill of light. The next step is to soften the shadows.
boards for a subtle look
2 LIFT SHADOWS
You can do this by placing a small softbox at the model’s
feet angled upwards and meter it at a stop below your key
light. It’s possible to try this set-up with a reflector rather
than a softbox, but just be aware that it will never be as
powerful, so the resulting image will have more contrast
due to the darker shadows.
3 ADD FIRST COLOUR
I have added blue to the left camera, and as I am going for
a far softer colour palette I want to avoid using hard lights.
You need to diffuse the coloured gel by aiming the gelled
light away from the model and bouncing it off a large white
board, but a similar result can be achieved with a thick
white cotton sheet.
4 SECOND COLOUR
Finally the second colour is brought in on the right-hand
side – set up in exactly the same way by bouncing an
orange gel off a large white board. It is also useful to
note that these two colours were chosen because the
orange and blue go really well with the pinks and violets
of the model’s outfit.
77
 A R C H I T E C T U R E

Step class
Craig Roberts discovers the
charms of staircases,
an often overlooked
photographic opportunity
ALL IMAGES CRAIG ROBERTS

Unusual staircases can be found outside the

city too, such as in this lighthouse

WIDEANGLE LENS FISHEYE LENS TILTING LCD SCREEN

KIT LIST

A 20-28mm focal-lengt
focal-length A fisheye lens will not If your camera has one, use the tilting LCD screen
range will enable you to only offer an extreme to compose your iimages. You could also shoot via
get good views of most angle of view, but Wi-Fi from your
staircases, but shooting also distort the smartphone if
with an extreme natural pattern your camera has
you
wideangle will allow yo formed by the this option. Both
to get much more staircase, adding a are great ways to
dramatic views and unique interpretation shoot looking
shape.
include the whole shap to your image. straight up.

78
 STAIRCASES HAVE BEEN AROUND for centuries,
and many are designed as part of a building’s
internal beauty rather than just a means of
emergency escape if the lifts fail. Square or spiral,
metal or wooden, their designs are often unique and,
fortunately, many lend themselves to abstract
studies. Stay alert to opportunities: they can be all
too easy to miss if you take the lazy route to an
upper floor. However, if you seek them out when
visiting a town, city or other location, they make a
welcome addition to a portfolio of images, as this
article will reveal.

DESIGN
Photography is about composition, and
composition is about shape, design and, in many
cases, patterns. Fortunately, staircases have all these
in abundance. The natural design of staircases
makes them very photogenic and pleasing to the eye,
especially the way they lead from one floor to
another, changing direction and overlapping each
level. This shaping acts as a natural pattern for the
eye to follow around the frame and you can use this
as the basis of your composition, or alternatively,
shoot in more abstract form. This also applies to
spiral staircases, but there are still images to be
captured in the less-dramatic, straight-up design
too, and it’s this contrast in design that makes them
so interesting and unique.

EXPOSURE AND
WHITE BALANCE
Shooting indoors brings
with it two key problems
– artificial light and
low-light conditions.
Tungsten bulbs are
bright enough to
illuminate the interior

CRAIG for your eyes, but less

effective for your camera.

ROBERTS They also cause some

odd colour shifts that,
again, only your camera
Craig Roberts has been a records, as your brain
professional photographer can neutralise this back
BEANBAG WRIST OR NECK STRAP for more than 20 years and
specialises in travel and to a standard white light.
A small beanbag is a useful accessory to place on a When leaning over the top banister of a tall flight of
banister for support, especially in locations where a stairs with your camera, the last thing you want to do landscapes. He’s written Thankfully, digital
tripod isn’t convenient or allowed. is drop it. Use a technique articles for every cameras have a built-in
strap to avoid major photo magazine and correcting system and
an expensive offers online photography
this is where the white
and possibly courses and tuition from
his website. www. balance feature comes in.
dangerous
accident. craigrobertsphotography. You can tailor the
co.uk white balance to suit the
light source, and
79
 a r c h i t e c t u r e

Switch to a standard lens and

you can start creating more
abstract views using the
shape and design of the stairs

tungsten is just one of the preset choices available.
This usually corrects the colour cast with a press of a
button, but sometimes it is nice to have a slight glow
of colour shift, which adds to the look and feel of the
staircase. This can be tailored in-camera if shooting
JPEGs using the custom white balance, but a much
easier way to do this is to shoot in raw and adjust
this on the computer. You can then dial this in to
suit the picture and fne-tune it for the perfect result.
You may fnd an
interesting staircase in an
otherwise ordinary
location, such as your
local shopping centre
Correcting it entirely can leave the image looking
cold and sterile, so tweaking the white balance to
allow some of the warmth created from tungsten
lighting to stay in the picture is the best option.
With white balance taken care of, you then need
to consider your ISO setting to allow image capture
without any annoying camera shake. Light levels
inside buildings are often low, so you may need ISO
800, or even ISO 1600, to get a high enough shutter

GettinG permission
Many staircases will be in a public place, so shooting them shouldn’t be a
problem. if they are photogenic enough, you won’t be the only person
who will have taken pictures of them. however, some hotels and private
buildings feature great staircases too, so it’s worth asking at reception, or
even the security personnel, if you can take a few pictures. they may say
no, but in many cases you’ll probably fnd they will allow you a few
minutes to take photos – if you avoid getting in anyone’s way. So have
your camera set up ready to make the most of your available time and
make a quick route from top to bottom, capturing the best views.

80
FIVE TOP
STAIRCASES
The internet is a fantastic
tool for finding new and
unusual-looking
staircases around the
country. You only have to
search a photo library or
photo-sharing website
such as Flickr and you’ll
find a plethora of
different-shaped
staircases that fellow
photographers have
captured. It’s also an idea
to keep an eye out when
on your travels for
interesting staircases. In
the meantime, here are
a few top locations to get
you started.
● The Queen’s House,
Greenwich, London SE10
● City Hall, London SE1
● De La Warr Pavilion,
Bexhill, East Sussex
● Museum of Liverpool,
Liverpool L3
● Baltic Centre,
Gateshead,
Tyne and Wear
speed, while still maintaining a good aperture
selection for sufficient depth of field.
Switch on the image-stabilising system (either on
the camera or the lens itself) to help you with
camera shake and then use banisters or walls around
the staircase to brace yourself for a slow shutter
speed. Good handholding technique comes into its
own here, so tuck in your elbows, hold your breath
and press the shutter button nice and slowly, rather
than stabbing at it, to guarantee sharp images.
A tripod probably won’t be allowed or even be an
option on a staircase, so get your camera set up and
the technique perfected for blur-free handheld shots.
COMPOSITION
As you frame up your shots you need to be looking
out for the patterns and shapes inherent in staircase
design. The best approach is to head to the top floor
and start shooting from there first, looking down
from the top of the staircase. This often gives the
best view, with the full shape revealed all the way to
the ground floor. Then, with that view in the bag,
You can almost guarantee
spectacular results with spiral
staircases. Shoot from below with
your wideangle lens and allow the
spiral effect to create the image
start making your way down the staircase and
capture the other views you’ll see on the way. Look
out for lights, chandeliers or side windows, which
will add to the overall pattern and complement the
shape of the stairs.
Look at the steps themselves. See how the light
catches them and the shapes they make on their
own. You may need a slightly longer focal length to
capture these in more abstract form and these can
provide secondary, closer views of the same staircase.
Work your way down to the ground floor, shooting
as you go – but of course, not shooting as you walk
– and avoid getting in the way of other people using
the staircase. Once you reach the bottom, look up.
This will give you quite a different view of the entire
staircase. Watch for roof lights, which may affect
your exposure, and you might need to overexpose
your images by one or two stops to allow for any
brighter areas fooling your camera’s internal
metering. Check the results on your camera’s LCD
screen and use the histogram to determine any
exposure adjustment required.
81
 s T R e e T

10
commandments
of street
photography
Top photographers Antonio Olmos, Jerry Webb
and Rupert Vandervell share their insights on how
to get the best from shooting on the street
© RUPERT VANDERVELL
 1 MOST OF YOUR
PHOTOGRAPHS WILL SUCK
I always say that taking photographs is like taking
notes – you take a lot of them in the hope you will
make one that’s amazing. A lot of people new to
photography are disappointed by how many bad
pictures they take. Well here is a little secret: all of us,
even pros, take lots of bad images. Like a writer with
piles of notes, the photographer must learn to edit his
or her work and sift through a stack of pictures to
look for that one strong image. I go out into the
streets hoping to make one good photograph. Most
of my images are a disappointment. Sometimes I try
things and they just don’t work.
Photography for me is about learning to live with
constant disappointment. If photography was easy,
© ANTONIO OLMOS WWW.ANTONIOOLMOS.COM

every image we take would be brilliant. Photography

is hard because that great image is very difficult to
get. When you do street photography you are
The best shots are working in an environment that you have no control
taken when you are over. People will get in your way, the image will be
right in the middle gone before you raise your camera to your eye, the
of the action light will change or you will get the focus wrong. A
million things will not work when trying to take an
image. A great image from street photography
A great image comes from perseverance, patience and complete
comes from focus on the task at hand.
perseverance,
patience and
complete focus
© ANTONIO OLMOS

I go out into the streets hoping

to make one good photograph

2 WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHING

First, you need a good pair of shoes. If you’re serious
about street photography you’ll be on your feet all
day, searching for that elusive image. Many of my
favourite shots have come after hours of walking.
People with bad shoes tend to give up much sooner
than those wearing comfortable shoes. Cheap shoes
lead to blisters – I guarantee you Henri Cartier-
Bresson had good shoes. Also, wear comfortable
clothes that reflects the weather you are working in.
Don’t carry too much gear, either – try to work with
one camera and a couple of lenses. If you are not
weighed down by kit, you will have a productive day.
You should also drink lots of water and take breaks,
© ANTONIO OLMOS

but when you take those breaks get a table on the

pavement or sit near a window. You never know
what will walk by while you are sipping your latte.

83
 s t r e e t
© ANTONIO OLMOS

3 use short lenses

In my opinion, truly great street photography is shot
on 50mm, 35mm, 28mm or 24mm lenses. the 35mm
is my favourite, whether it’s ftted to my Leica, sony
or my Canon. In fact, I wish I had a zoom that went
from 35mm to 50mm and nothing more.
Zooms are usually not good for street
photography. You need to think and see like the lens
on your camera. If you shoot with just one lens you
will learn how the image will look. short fxed-focal
lenses also force you to get close to the subject. And
that immediacy is what makes great street images.
You feel like the photographer is in the midst of the
action. Zooms make you lazy. You stand around and
© JERRY WEBB www.jerrywebbphotography.com

zoom in on the world instead of getting in the thick

of it. Zooms are also heavier and bigger than your
average fxed-focal-length wideangle or normal lens.
they make your camera stand out, so you’re more
likely to be noticed when you’re trying to be
discreet. Zooms are heavier and your neck and
shoulders will suffer, while prime lenses are lighter
and smaller, which is essential in street photography.

Groups create natural foregrounds that allow

you to lead the eye into the photo
© ANTONIO OLMOS

4 You have to like human beings

If you don’t like people and think most of them are
complete idiots, then I suggest you steer well clear
of street photography. I fnd human beings endlessly
interesting. I love the way they move, I love their
faces, I love the way they dress, I love how they
interact with the urban environment – in fact, I love
everything about them. It’s a joy taking their
pictures, and I truly believe people can see that
about me. they also read my body language and get
a sense that I am no threat to them.
If you walk around taking photos in the street,
constantly worried about getting mugged or
© JERRY WEBB

questioned about what you are doing, you are going

to give others the sense that you are not comfortable.

84

Don’t be afraid to
shoot into the light
6 CHOOSING YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Being a street photographer or just taking candid
pictures can be stressful at times and difficult to
conceal, so the environment you choose to work in
plays a major part, whatever your level of experience
and however good your technique.
Selecting where you photograph is absolutely key.
Location can not only dictate the style of pictures
and how you go about creating them, but it also
affects how you and those you are photographing
are feeling. Choosing your local area gives you the
benefit of local knowledge, a feel for where to look
for pictures and an understanding of the people, plus
maybe added confidence. Investigating nww
locations can inspire fresh ideas, but returning to the
same location and using your experience and
knowledge of the location can pay dividends.
As a rule, the busier the environment the better.
Public or sporting events, or tourist areas, are ideal
for people photography and particularly suited to
the novice or those lacking confidence. You will
usually find a greater acceptance and a relaxed
attitude to photographers, and often such places are
full of other people taking pictures. This makes it so
much easier to blend in and provide you with a more
relaxed photography experience.
One of my most successful (and lazy) techniques
is to find a seat in a busy street or shopping area and
just sit there with a camera. I wait for groups of
people, movement, unusual dress or just interesting
interaction, often buying myself an ice cream or a
drink. Looking relaxed while taking photographs in
public helps to avoid attention. Nervous
photographers are always more visible. If you find a
good location, be patient and take plenty of shots.

5 WORKING WITH DIFFERENT PLANES

Many great street images have both foreground and
background interest – one can feed off the other.
Success in achieving this requires patience and sharp
intuition, but it can give a powerful dynamic. If the
foreground relates to the background this can help
to create a good narrative, or perhaps a great
juxtaposition. Either way, leading the viewer’s eye
around the photo adds depth and interest.
Although snatching images on the street that
© JERRY WEBB

work like this involves good instinct and luck, you

can improve your ‘luck’ with some foresight and
planning. On a simple level, find an interesting
Simply having movement or interaction on two planes (or even three) can
background – this can be a poster, a shop front, bold help to create a striking photograph
typography or a group of people – and just wait for
something to happen. Experience will tell you what
works best. Having something in mind often helps,
but also try keeping your options open for some-
thing more spontaneous. Occasionally you find an
accidental, but witty, connection between the
foreground and background during processing.
Sometimes there needs to be no connection; simply
having movement or interaction on two planes (or
even three) of the picture can make a striking image.
Close proximity to crowds or being in a group
creates natural foreground and background interest
© JERRY WEBB

if you are using a wide lens. This has a deeper depth

of field, making focusing easier.

85
 s t r e e t

7 Proximity
Good street work requires a reasonable wideangle lens, which often demands
that you are fairly close. the closer you are, the more involved with the subject
you are and the more involved the viewer will feel when looking at your shots.
I use a 12-24mm lens, around the 12mm mark, meaning I tend to work pretty
close. experience tells me what will appear on the image without making myself
conspicuous by looking through the viewfnder. Adjusting the camera settings
makes you conspicuous too, so set them before you begin taking photographs.
talking with your subject can give you time to think about what you want and
the opportunity to direct. some of my best pictures are of people who have
consented to be photographed, but they are taken just before they think the

© JERRY WEBB
session has started or just after they think it has fnished. I then capture totally
natural moments – often from positions too close for true candid photography.

8 shoot at night
I love to shoot at night, especially in winter when
good daylight is scarce and it starts to get dark
around 5pm. If I’m shooting for a specifc project, I
will have in mind a place that I hope will provide the
right kind of scene and then work in and around it.
the great thing about night photography is that
the light is always the same and it doesn’t matter
what the weather’s doing. In fact, if it’s wet you’ll
have more to play with in terms of atmosphere.
Places look very different under streetlamps and an
area you might not have considered for street work
may suddenly become a good hunting ground.
I treat night shoots the same as day shoots. I try to
choose areas with at least one main streetlamp,
which will hopefully defne the area where I want to
work. then I fnd the best viewpoint to balance the
scene regarding light, shadow and subject.
Additional lighting can come from car lights,
refections and shop windows. I’m never too set on
getting a technically perfect shot at night. What I am
looking for is the right atmosphere. You will be using
a higher IsO and an amount of grain is inevitable,
but this often adds more authenticity. I’m fascinated
by the flm noir look – fgures in hats and overcoats
emerging from deep shadows always inspire me.

If it’s wet you’ll have

much more to play with
in terms of atmosphere
© RUPERT VANDERVELL

A smaller camera is much easier

to conceal and you won’t be
advertising what you’re up to

9 Use a small camera and take only the essentials

When I go out to shoot, I want to feel like I’m one of the crowd, and blend in and
remain anonymous. the last thing I want to do is to draw attention to myself. For
street photography, carrying too much gear around with you is a mistake. It’s
tiring and restricts your movements. A smaller camera is easier to conceal and
© RUPERT VANDERVELL www.rupertvandervell.co.uk

you won’t be advertising what you’re up to. Between shots you can hide it under
your jacket or behind you as you move into position – sometimes it’s all about
stealth. I remember seeing Joel Meyerowitz shooting on the streets of New York.
He moved like a cat. You wouldn’t know what he was up to until it was too late
and he’d got the picture. there are so many great small and lightweight cameras
around. I use an Olympus OM-D e-M5 with a 20mm lens. It’s fast, small and very
light. I prefer to use my feet to do the framing and get myself into the right
position for the shot. street shooting is about being in the right place. If you are
more mobile, you’ll give yourself a better chance.

86
10 BE PATIENT Light changes very
You may find a place quickly depending on
that you think will be the the time of year, and
perfect setting for a shadows slide into
shot, but something isn’t new positions
quite as you want it. The
light may not be right or
perhaps people haven’t
yet walked into the
frame. Some
photographers are too
ready to move on if they
don’t immediately see
something to their liking.
It’s not just about
looking at what’s in front
of you, as you have to
look right into a scene to
see its potential. A slight
movement to the left or
right, or moving in a
little bit closer, can
reveal a whole new
dimension to a shot.
I will always stay with
an area if I think it might
yield something. I get
more excited by the
minute at the prospect
of capturing just what I
have in mind. I love
watching how the light
plays with a scene. I’ve
learned to be very
patient and I won’t leave
until I think I’ve got the
best I can. The light can
change very quickly
depending on the time
of year, and I have
watched shadows sliding
into new positions to
create a completely
different feel.
When shooting
people, I try to
© RUPERT VANDERVELL

anticipate their
movements and how
they might feature. You
need to be ready and
poised for that crucial
moment when they hit When shooting people, You have to look right
the right spot. I try to anticipate their into a scene to see its
If you’re lucky and movements potential
you’ve combined the
perfect light with
everything else, then
you’ll feel happy that
you waited around to
get it. Good shots come
to those who wait.
© RUPERT VANDERVELL

© RUPERT VANDERVELL

87
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Back to basics
If you haven’t used Adobe Lightroom before, or
need a refresher, it’s important to understand the
software and exactly what it can do
WITH SUCH A HUGE ARRAY of screens and tools,
Adobe Lightroom can at first seem pretty daunting.
However, initial impressions can be deceptive,
because with a basic understanding of what the
software can do and how it works, you’ll find
Lightroom is extremely user friendly. Later in this
magazine we’ll look at the various elements of the
software, but first it’s important to cover some
basics. If you aren’t familiar with Lightroom this
should prove useful, and even if you’ve been using it
for a while, a refresher course won’t do any harm.
IMAGE MANAGEMENT
At its core, Adobe Lightroom has three main
functions. First, it’s an image library tool, a place
where you can go to manage all your photographs.
Second, it’s a place to edit those images. Third, it’s a
place to export those edited images so they can be
seen elsewhere. Lightroom works by creating a
catalogue of images. As you take images, you save
them to your hard disk drive, as usual, but then
import them to the Lightroom Catalog. The Catalog
is just that – a catalogue. It isn’t a folder with all your
images, but merely a list and preview of them, along
with all the shooting information saved to one big
L I G H T R O O M
database file – an ‘.lrcat’ (Lightroom Catalog) file to
be precise. Every time Lightroom loads, it loads your
Catalog file so you can see all your images in one
place and begin working on them. Obviously, it can
be a lot of work if you have tens of thousands of
images to work with, so Lightroom will let you
organise the images in a number of ways.
Images can be keyworded, making it easy to search
for photographs based on a certain subject or theme.
They can also be rated out of five, making it quick to
find all your best shots, and they can be tagged with
a colour – for instance, any image that you’ve edited
and are happy with can be tagged green. Shooting
information metadata contained within an image
file can also be searched for. And of course, you can
combine all these different search parameters.
So, for example, if I wanted to find all my
best-edited images of sunsets, I could do a keyword
search for sunset, with the five-star rating and green
colour activated. Only the best sunset images will
then show, rather than having to scroll through
many hundreds of others. Once I have these images
selected, I can even save them as a Collection called
‘Best Sunsets’. This doesn’t create a new folder on my
computer called ‘Best Sunsets’. It just means that if I
click on the collection in Lightroom, it will gather a
preview of all these images in one place for me. This
makes it easy to work on image projects without
having to move original copies of your digital image
89
 L I G H T R O O M

files around your hard disk. This is a basic example,

and is barely touching the surface of what
Lightroom is capable of, but it gives you an idea of
how, with a properly managed library, powerful CREATE FOLDERS SO YOU
Lightroom can be.
What is key to understanding this software, and CAN FIND AND IMPORT
what can be difficult at first to grasp, is that
Lightroom never edits or moves any original images
on your hard disk (unless you specifically tell it to,
YOUR PHOTOS EASILY
and even then it gives you a warning). All it does is
When you’re dealing with vast There are many ways to organise
record the location of your images on your
numbers of images, it’s important your files and folders on a
computer and links to them, which allows you to
to have them properly organised. computer, but here is our preferred
work with them. Lightroom can help with this, but method, which assumes that you
the best starting point is to make are saving all your images onto a
NON-DESTRUCTIVE EDITING sure you have a good folder separate drive. Start with parent
Once again, it’s worth emphasising that Lightroom structure on your computer. This folders, which are sub-divided by
will make it easier to import year, and then into subjects. For
doesn’t edit your image files. As a general rule, changes
images to Lightroom, and more example, Hard disk>Places>2015>
are saved within the Lightroom Catalog, which is why importantly, make it easier for you Malta. This system also makes it
it is such an important file. If the Catalog file is deleted to manage a vast number of easier to back up images to
or becomes corrupted you will lose a lot of your work images. another hard disk, as you can
in Lightroom, which is why it regularly asks if you wish
to create a back-up of the file.
But even if the file is deleted, all your original
images will still be on your hard disk drive in the adjusted to your taste and then a print is created
same location they have always been. This is because from that negative. With the final print made you
Lightroom is what is known as a non-destructive still have the original negative, and your list of Images with GPS information can
editor. Rather than amending an image file, it saves exposure, colour and contrast settings, so at any be seen on the Map Module screen
your edits as a list of changes in the main Catalog file.

EDITING RAW FILES

Lightroom is primarily designed to work with raw
files, although it can also be used with JPEG, TIFF
and Photoshop – in fact, most image files. Regardless
of which file type you work with, remember that
you are working non-destructively.
The easiest way to think of working non-
destructively is to imagine the raw file as a digital
negative. When you begin editing and working on a
photograph in a darkroom you are making
adjustments to how that negative is going to be
printed. The exposure, colour and contrast are all

WORKFLOW
1 Original
image 2 Save image
to hard drive
3 Import to
Lightroom 4 Catalog
image

90
 effect, it is exactly the same as editing a raw file in
Adobe Camera Raw, since virtually all the basic
Hard disk
image-editing controls are the same.
However, Lightroom is much more sophisticated
than Camera Raw, thanks to the easy-to-use import
and export options on offer.
Places People Events

EXPORTING IMAGES
Once your image is looking just as you want, it’s
2013 2014 2015 2013 2014 2015 2013 2014 2015
time to export it. As you aren’t ever editing the
original file you cannot simply hit ‘Save’. Saving may
seem more convenient, but remember the point of
Iceland Spain USA France Malta Germany John Sam Sally Paul Kevin Steve Event1 Event 2 Event 3 Event 4 Event 5 Event 6
Lightroom is to leave these original files untouched
It’s important to have a good folder structure rather than simply having all your images spread over – you cannot simply write over them. Instead, you
various hard disks and folders. Keep the folders well structured, as shown in this diagram, and it will be export the image to a different file. Again, there are a
much easier to find and edit your images number of different file types you can save your
image to when exporting. In addition, you can even
simply copy a whole folder to the – would be sub-folders for finished
back-up drive. files and files saved for web use. So,
constrain the size if you need to create smaller
Within each final folder – Malta, for example, Hard disk>Places> versions for internet use.
for example, in the diagram (above) 2015>Malta>Finished>Web. We’ll talk about exporting later, on pages 102-103,
but basically the edited image is saved as a new file,
in the location of your choice on your computer.

point you can go back and make another copy, or MODULES

continue to refine the image. While the management and editing of images is the
The traditional darkroom is a good analogy of primary function of Lightroom, its capabilities don’t
how Lightroom operates. You open your original stop there. The latest version of the software is split
raw file – your digital negative – make a series of into seven modules, each representing part of a
adjustments, then when you are happy, you can workflow. The Library Module is where you
export (save) the image to another file, which is in organise your images, while the Develop module is
effect like making your darkroom print. At any time where the image editing takes place. There is also a
you can go back to Lightroom and open that image Map module, which lets you see exactly where your
and the Lightroom Catalog will automatically have GPS-tagged images have been taken or you can
the list of exposure, colour and contrast adjustments assign a location to a shot. The Book module lets
made to the original file. you design books of your images, and even upload
You can then tweak these adjustments further or, your book designs to Blurb for printing into an
if you wish, you can revert to the original file, which awesome photo book.
is still sitting – exactly as it always has been – on Alternatively, books can be saved as PDF files for
your hard drive. you to take to an independent printer. The
Obviously, Lightroom enables you to alter a lot Slideshow module lets you create slideshows of your
more than just exposure, colour and contrast. In images, including selecting music, while the Print
module allows your images to be printed. Again,
there are various layouts for prints, including the
creation of contact sheets. Finally, the Web module
allows basic web galleries to be created, with the files
available for you to upload to your own web space.
Even within these modules there are many more

5 Edit
image 6 Export as an
edited copy
features, such as the option to export your images to
Facebook, Flickr, Alamy and many other services, or
to export images with a watermark embedded. And
there is now the option to have Lightroom on your
mobile, which allows you to carry around selected
Collections of your work in your pocket, and to save
the images taken with your smartphone directly to
the Lightroom Catalog on your computer.
91
 l i g h t r o o m
Import module
this is where you build your lightroom Catalog. it looks fairly straightforward, but dig deeper
and there are lots of features that can save you time and ensure you work more effciently
build previews
there are a few different Build Preview options and each has its
1
pros and cons. Depending on which you pick, it can affect the size
of your lightroom Catalog fle, the time it takes to import, the
quality of the Preview and the time it takes to view an image at 100%.
Using minimal Preview creates the thumbnails you see when the images
are tiled on screen. this means that images are imported quickly, but you
may lose time once you start working on them as the larger previews will
still have to be created. Embedded & Sidecar use the JPEg preview image
embedded in the raw fle. this is the same as the image you see on the rear
of your camera and, again, can save time when importing. however, as with
minimal, it can slow you down when you work on images.
Standard generates a preview that is the standard full-screen size, but if
you want to zoom in on the image you’ll still need a 1:1 preview. generating
the 1:1 preview as you import can add a lot of time to the import process. it
also means your Catalog fle can get very large, very quickly. however, it
does mean that as you jump from editing image to image, there should be
no real lag and, as no preview has to be generated,
you can begin working immediately. We
recommend setting the 1:1 preview on import.
Build Smart PreviewS
2 Many photographers save all their images to
external hard disk drives. Previously, Lightroom
You can instruct Lightroom to
required that the disk drive be connected to allow
you to work on an image – which, when working on
disregard duplicate fles when a laptop, isn’t always possible. Smart Previews get
importing
around this by creating a Smart Preview of the
image in your Catalog – basically a very compressed
DNG fle. This means that you can edit the image
even if the original isn’t available to Lightroom, as
it’s on an unconnected drive. If you have images you
may wish to edit on the go, then it’s worth creating a
Smart Preview. However, it’s probably best to do this
ad hoc, as setting this on Import can create a huge
Catalog fle and take up signifcant hard disk space.
3 make a Second coPy to
This is a great time-saving feature. As you
import the images, regardless of whether you have
selected Copy, Add or Move, Lightroom will make a
second copy in the location of your choice. This is
great for ensuring you have a back-up version.
PreSetS
4 Again, selecting a Preset can save time by
allowing all the import settings to be decided with
a simple click. For example, if you’re working on a
particular project, you may want a copy of the images
made to a location, a certain effect applied and a
specifc list of keywords added. Save these settings as
a Preset and the next time you import images for this
project you can select the relevant Preset.
coPy aS dnG
5 When importing, the Copy, Move and Add
options are fairly straightforward. Copy is usually
used when transferring images from a memory card
– copying them to a new location on a hard drive
while importing. Move, somewhat obviously, moves
images from one location to another during the
import, and is useful when organising an archive of
existing images. Finally, Add keeps the image fles in
an existing location and imports them to the Catalog.
Add is generally best used when you have already
copied images from a memory card to hard disk.
However, Copy as DNG can be more confusing.
Transferring your raw images from proprietary raw
fles to DNG can certainly have its advantages. DNG
fles are generally smaller, so they tend to take up less
space, and Lightroom can also load these images
faster. However, it can also make the import process
signifcantly slower. There is much debate among
photographers about whether to use Copy as DNG,
but we don’t feel the advantages of choosing this
option outweigh its drawbacks.
 5

1
2
3

APPLY DURING IMPORT

You can add keywords as files are imported
6 Another way to save time is to apply your favoured settings to images
as they are being imported. For example, if you tend to process all your
documentary images in black & white, you can apply your own black & white
Preset to all your images when importing. Remember, Lightroom is non-
destructive, so applying a style at import doesn’t mean you’re stuck with it
because you can always adjust the raw processing as usual.
Also useful is the ability to add basic keywords at this early stage. Add
the location, theme, subject or any other important keywords now and it
can help you find images later – saving much of your time in the process.
More complex keywords, if required, can then be added to the individual
photographs in the Library module later.

EXPERT TIP
As you import photographs into Light-
room, those who subscribe to the
Creative Cloud and are using the Light-
room CC version can choose to automati-
cally add files to a collection as they are
imported. At the same time, the collection
you set as the target can be enabled to
sync with Lightroom Mobile. This means that as you import files Your Catalog, which
into the main Lightroom Catalog these will be automatically stores all your edits in
synced with your Lightroom Mobile account on any compatible Lightroom, remains
device. When shooting tethered, you can also choose to sync to intact when you use
a collection that will synchronise with a Lightroom Mobile the Creative Cloud
account and be updated as soon as you shoot each new shot. version of Lightroom

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Library module
With the potential to have tens of thousands of pictures in your Catalog, the library
module is key to keeping your images in order

1 CataLog
The Catalog is where all your images in
Lightroom are stored, but you can have more than Metadata
one. While most people have just one Catalog fle,
metadata is more than just a list

you may want to have two. In this way, you can
ensure that you fnd your images with ease by
having a range of Catalogs for, say, personal images
and work images. You’ll just need to remember to
load the correct Catalog when you start Lightroom.
This can be done by selecting File>Open Catalog.
Keep in mind that the Catalog fle also allows you to
quickly access the last images you imported, and it is
also where you can access the Quick Collection – a
temporary method of grouping your photographs.
4
of the settings used to take the
image. For example, you can add
your contact details to an image, as well as
copyright information. this can be useful
when sending photos to people, particularly
if they’re being published or entered in a
competition. if your image has gPS data
contained within it, lightroom will also
automatically add the name of where it was
taken. it’s certainly worth spending some time looking through the
metadata tab to fnd out how to make it work best for you.

2 PubLish serviCes
If you keep an active presence or portfolio
on a photo-sharing site, then Publish Services can
save you a lot of time. By entering your login details
and preferences you can export images to sites like
Flickr, Behance, 500px and Facebook simply by
selecting images in the library and clicking on the
service. Publish Services uses the standard Export
module, so you’re able to constrain the size of the
image and even add a watermark automatically – a
great timesaver when you’re dealing with a lot of
photos. Many online websites and services support
Lightroom’s Publish Services tool; you’ll fnd these
by clicking the ‘Find More Services Online’ button.
If entering a competition, it
can be useful to add your
contact information to the
image metadata
5 Library FiLter
The Library Filter is an incredibly helpful
tool for fnding specifc images in your Catalog. It
allows you to apply its settings across your entire
Catalog, or set them to only work on a specifc
folder. Our suggestion is to use the different
attributes and metadata to flter the images. Colour
coding can also be useful – for example, you can tag
images that need editing as red, images that are
fnished as green and images where editing is in
progress as blue. Filtering for all the blue images will

3 Keywording expert tip

It can be time consuming, but correctly
Keywording your images can save you a lot of time
in the future and mean you can quickly fnd and
curate the images in your Catalog. You can create
your own list of keywords by looking at each image
and adding relevant words. After a while Lightroom
will suggest other keywords based on ones you’ve
previously added. To speed things up even more,
you can download lists of keywords and load them
into Lightroom. Visit www.lightroom-keyword-list-
project.blogspot.gr to download lists, including bird
species and foundation words. You can also add
keywords to batches of images by selecting the
images in the library window and then clicking ‘Sync
Metadata’. Make sure that the Keyword box is ticked
and the keywords have been added.
94
the Quick Develop panel can be a great way
to make the most of your time when editing.
it is used to apply some of the essential
Develop panel adjustments to a single image
or multiple images, allowing basic
adjustments to be made without you having
to switch back and forth from the library
module to the Develop module.
the simple button controls can be used to
apply quick adjustments to images when
reviewing a large number of pictures from a
shoot. these button adjustments are applied relative to the current
settings. this means that if you make a selection of images and click on an
Exposure button to make the photos lighter, it applies a lightening
adjustment that is relative to the current Exposure setting, rather than
applying the same exposure setting to all the selected photos.
 1
5
2
then allow you to quickly see files you’ve already
started to work on.
SMART COLLECTIONS
6 Collections are just that, collections
of images you’ve filed together. Remember that
creating a Collection won’t move any images on
your hard drive and the images will only appear as a
Collection when in Lightroom. The images that
form Collections can be from different folders on
your computer – they could even be on different
4
drives – and an image can also appear in more than
one Collection. Even more useful are Smart
Collections. These Collections are created depending
on certain variables. For example, you could create a
Collection called Best Landscapes 2014, where
images have the keyword ‘landscape’, are rated five
stars and were taken in 2014. Any images that fit
these criteria will automatically be placed in this
Collection. There are many different ways search
rules can be applied, so the possibilities for creating Smart Collections can help
Smart Collections are almost endless. organise your Library
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 l I g H T r o o m

Develop module
The Develop module is where raw images are transformed into fnished masterpieces.
We look at the key features and offer essential tips

1 Histogram soften the fne details in an image, which helps to

The Histogram is fairly self-explanatory. As
well as showing the tonal range, it also shows the
range of each different colour, which is helpful in
that it allows you to make a quick visual assessment
of the colour balance, or to see if any particular
colours are blown out.
Clicking on the arrows at the top left and top right
of the Histogram show the areas that are in total
shadow or completely blown out. By default, these
are shown in blue and red. This makes it easy when
setting the Black and White points. Generally, you’ll
always want some black in an image, and just a few
reduce noise and pixelation. Increasing the Clarity
increases local contrast, which can add a perception
of sharpness to an image.
Saturation increases the saturation of all the
different colours equally, but Vibrance will only
increase the saturation of more muted colours, so it
doesn’t push up colours that are already nearly
completely saturated. As a result, Vibrance is better for
skin tones and also for more realistic colours in
landscape images.

Split toning
Before
specks that are completely white. While there are
sliders for the various Black, White, Highlight and
Shadow adjustments in the Basic tab, you can also
adjust these by clicking, holding and sliding the Split Toning is mostly
respective area on the Histogram. 7 associated with black &
white images, and in this
One fnal Histogram tip: if you click on ‘Original
case it’s often used to replicate the
Photo’ you’ll have the option to create a Smart look of certain toners or types of
Preview of the image. This allows you to edit the paper. However, it can be used on
image, even if the hard disk drive it’s on isn’t attached. colour images. If you plan to use it on
colour, bear in mind that it tends to
ExposurE, Contrast,
2
work best when applying a very

HigHligHt, sHadow, wHitE subtle tone to just the Highlights or

and blaCk
Shadows – perhaps by using an
orange or blue hue to make them feel
It’s best to alter the Exposure, Contrast, Highlight, warmer or colder. If you up the Split
Shadow, White and Black controls simultaneously. Toning effect you may fnd that the
First, think of the Exposure control as a midtone image takes on the vintage flm and
print looks that are currently popular
adjustment. When adjusting this, don’t worry too
on smartphone apps like Instagram.
much about whether it makes the highlights or
shadows too dark. Second, adjust the White and After
Split toning can also be
Black points. As discussed in the Histogram, make used on colour images
sure you have some black and, usually, some white with dramatic effect
in the image, but avoid large black or white areas. To
check this, use the Histogram clipping arrows, or
hold down Alt when making any adjustments.
With the Exposure and Whites and Blacks set, it’s
time to adjust the overall look of the image. Move
the Shadows and Highlights controls to reveal or
hide more detail, then tweak the Contrast to select
the look of your image. Once the contrast is set, you
may need to refne the Shadows and Highlights.

Clarity, VibranCE
3 and saturation
These three sliders are surprisingly straightforward.
Clarity adjusts the local contrast and lowering it can
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 1

3
4

TONE CURVE
4 If you have used the sliders in
the Basic panel correctly, then you
shouldn’t need to do much, if
anything, with the Tone Curve.
However, much like the Curve
adjustment found in many editing
software packages, it can help in
6 tweaking the brightness of the image
in specific areas.
Adjust the grey tone by altering
HUE, SATURATION, LUMINANCE
the colours
5 If you want to tweak specific colours, then
the HSL panel is the best place to do so. Each colour
5 channel has a slider where the Hue, Saturation and
Luminance (brightness) of the colour can be
adjusted. For specific adjustments use the Color
Picker, top left of the panel. Click on a colour in the
image and then push up or down to increase or
decrease the Hue, Saturation or Luminance. This is
handy if, for example, you want to adjust a blue sky.
With the Luminance Color Picker selected, click on
the sky and pull down to darken. Then select the
Saturation Color Picker and push up to increase the
saturation. This can help to create a polarised effect.
Alternatively, use it to make grass greener or duller,
or to increase the saturation of the iris in a portrait.
BLACK & WHITE
6
The Black & White panel has a Color Picker
and you use this on a particular spot on your image
to increase or decrease the selected colour. Increasing
or decreasing a colour adjusts its brightness within
the image and moves its appearance closer to white
or dark grey/black. It’s like using the colour channels
in Photoshop, or using black & white filters.

EXPERT TIP
Clicking on the graph button in the bottom-right corner of the
Tone Curve panel switches you from the Parametric to the
Point Curve editing mode, where you can also choose to edit
the individual red, green and blue colour channels, just like you
can using the Curves adjustment in Photoshop. These extra
colour controls can be used to apply strong colour
adjustments to any image.

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12
8 DETAIL
The key to successful noise reduction and
sharpening is to keep the image looking natural and
realistic. Over-sharpened photos with heavy noise
reduction can be spotted a mile away, so err on the
side of caution when applying these effects.
Sharpening has four sliders. The first is
the Amount, which is the strength of the sharpening.
How much you set this to will depend on the image
and your taste, but between 15 and 40 is a good
working range. The Radius slider determines the
area around an edge pixel that is to be sharpened.
Again, use restraint and aim to work in a range of
about 0.5-2.0. The Detail slider controls the finer
edges that are in the image, so this can usually be set
8 automatic lens corrections. If Lightroom knows the
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11
10
quite high. Finally, the Masking slider acts as a
threshold, allowing you to control where the
sharpening should take place. Slide it to the right
and you reduce the areas of the photograph that
sharpening will occur, by ignoring less important
edges and only sharpening the more obvious ones.
If you have lots of fine detail you’ll want to set the
mask low on these areas. If you have very smooth
areas with already hard edges that will respond well
to sharpening, use a higher amount of Masking.
Using the Alt key shows a live preview of the mask.
If you hold it down while using the Masking slider,
you can see which areas are being sharpened.
LENS CORRECTIONS
9 In its current version, and a number of
versions before that, Lightroom offers the option of
lens an image was taken with, and has a profile for it,
Lens Corrections can be automatically enabled. It
can be a good idea to apply this setting when you’re
importing an image. To enable the lens correction,
select Profile, and then Enable Profile Corrections.
The lens used should be detected from the metadata,
and any vignetting or curvilinear distortion will be
corrected. You can tweak these further using the
sliders just below the Lens Profile details.
Chromatic aberrations can be removed with just a
click in the tick box under the Color Panel, while
purple fringing can also be removed. One trick here
is to use the Color Picker tool on an area of purple 9
fringing. Using the Amount slider will target this
colour specifically when it’s next to any areas of high
contrast, and it’s a very effective tool.
A fairly recent addition to Lightroom is its ability
to auto correct and straighten any perspective
distortion. This is found under the Basic panel.
When used with a Profile correction, curvilinear
distortion can be corrected, as well as any tilting
angles in the images. There are three options: Level,
Vertical and Full. Level straightens the horizontal
lines, Vertical corrects the vertical lines, while Full
corrects both of these at once. However, just how
well this works depends on the specific image. If you
want to have a go yourself, the various corrections
for perspective can be found in the Manual tab.

BRUSH EFFECTS TOOL

10 One of the biggest advancements in
Lightroom has been the introduction of localised
adjustment brushes. These allow many of the
Exposure, Colour and Contrast effects to be painted
onto certain parts of an image. It also allows some
basic, localised, sharpening, noise reduction,
de-fringing and moiré control.
To use the effects, simply select an appropriate
brush size and make sure the image is displayed on
screen at an appropriate size. While the Size control
is obvious, the Feather control affects how soft or
hard the edge of the brush is. The Flow control The Perspective Distortion control
can be too effective when set to
determines the strength of the brush, and Density full. Use Auto instead
regulates its maximum effect. So if Exposure is set to
+1EV and the Density is set to 50, the maximum
effect that can be built up by the brush is 0.5EV.
OTHER
OPTIONS
With any of these effects, it’s worth starting lightly
and building up as you go, in order to control the
overall look. The great thing is that all you’re doing
is choosing, and ‘painting’, one area to be affected. Iif
you feel you’ve overdone a particular brushed effect, SYNC
If you’re happy with the
you can simply go in and alter the strength, rather effects you’ve applied to
than having to delete it and start again. your image, you can save
Finally, the AutoMask setting detects edges and time by syncing these

EXPERT TIP makes it easier to mask certain areas. While this

setting can be very useful, it may create a halo effect
settings with those of
similar images. Simply
click and hold down Shift
on edges if used too heavily. Instead, it’s worth going to select a group of
Whenever you use the Graduated filter or Radial at it carefully and using a feathered brush. Complex images, then press Sync,
filter tools to add a localised adjustment, you masking, such as around a subject’s hair, is still and a menu will appear
can use the Brush edit mode in Lightroom CC or showing all the items you
much better done in Photoshop than Lightroom. can sync. Select your
Lightroom 6 to edit the mask. The best method
is to enable the mask overlay, select Brush edit settings, which will be
GRADIENT AND
mode and use the ‘add’ or ‘subtract’ brushes to
refine the mask. Such edits remain independent
11 RADIAL GRADIENT
applied to all images in
the selection.
of the gradated adjustment settings. This means Both these apply a graduated mask. This feathers
you can brush-edit the mask effect, but also
any of the effects from 100% to 0%. On landscape
CREATE A
independently edit the gradated-effect settings
images it can replicate a graduated filter, and as well
VIRTUAL COPY
to refine the filter gradation settings or the area If you right-click on any
covered. This is a great technique when you wish as changing the brightness, it can adjust white image, the menu
to darken the sky but there are objects jutting balance, local contrast, etc. The Radial Gradient will give you the option to
into the graduated area. creates a circular gradient – useful for applying an Create a Virtual Copy. This
creates another version in
off-centre vignette or to lighten part of an image.
the Lightroom Catalog,
but doesn’t create another
PRESETS
12 If your image has a certain style, it’s worth
file on your hard disk. This
is great if you’d like to
saving as a Preset so the adjustments can be applied have a black & white as
well as a colour version of
to other images and even automatically as images the same image, without
are imported. Exposure adjustments may not work taking up twice the space
for other images, so it can be best to stick to colour on your disk drive.
and effects adjustments when creating your Presets.
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Print module
Once you’ve edited your photos, you can do much more than simply export them as image files.
We offer advice on the key ways to publish your pictures
For photographers, Lightroom really can take care
of your entire workflow, especially when it comes to
print. The Print module lets you specify the page
layout and print options for printing photos and
contact sheets on your printer. This makes it
easy to create a page layout, whether
you’d like to print hundreds of
images, a single print, a contact
sheet or everything in between.
Similarly, why not create a
book, slideshow or web
gallery? However you want to
present your images,
Lightroom can help.

1 TEMPLATE
BROWSER
In practice, most photographers’ print
runs will consist of single images.
However, if you do wish to make a more
Print options in Lightroom
advanced type of print, there are many options in allow you to create a book,
the Template browser. One of the most useful slideshow or Web gallery
100
templates is the option to print contact sheets. 4
Simply select the photos you wish to add from the
OTHER
OPTIONS
filmstrip bar, and then click on the contact sheet
template that suits the number of images. Using the
Layout and Page options you can then add details
such as the image file names, the date and time, or SLIDESHOW
even exposure data. Another useful trick is to Creating a slideshow is
maximise the number of prints you have on a single easy. You can choose your
sheet of paper. You can use, or set up, templates for background and add an
identity plate or
different paper sizes – and then cram as many 6x4in
watermark, plus add text,
photos on a single sheet of A4 or A3 as you can. star ratings and even drop
shadows. Music can be
CUSTOM PACKAGE
2 If none of the default templates suits your
added from your own
collection, and you can
create intro and outro
needs, there is the option to create your own. Each titles. You can also add
image is held within a Cell, and these can be selected cross-fade effects
from the Cells panel. Once you’ve chosen your page between images. Also,
size, the Cells can be dragged onto the template and Lightroom’s new Pan and
Zoom options use a Ken
moved around, with a grid background helping to Burns-style effect and will
ensure that everything is neatly lined up. When display a slightly enlarged
you’re happy with the layout, it can be saved as a version of the image,
template for future use. which the frame then
moves across. Used
sparingly this small use of
3 PAGE OPTIONS motion can really add
For a more personal finish to your Perceptual and Relative options help to print-match impact to your slideshow.
prints, it’s possible to customise the page by adding the screen image as closely as possible
personalised touches. The background colour can be
BOOKS
The Book Creation module
changed (although bear in mind that setting it to black, for example, will use a lot of black ink) or a lets you choose from
polished finish created by setting a colour border. different templates, and
The Identity Plate is another option that allows you there are various page

EXPERT TIP to add your name, or business name and promote

your brand. Depending on your preferences, the
layouts. Text and borders
can be added, and the
books can be saved as PDF
Identity Plate size and opacity can be changed. If or JPEG files. In the UK,
In the Print Job panel there is a Draft Mode Adobe has partnered with
you want to protect your images, the watermarking
Printing option. When this is checked it Blurb books, so you can
tool is a good option. As you’d expect, this applies a
restricts you to managing all the print settings design a book with
via the system printer driver dialogue, but watermark to each image, and furthermore, Blurb’s different size and
allows you to make prints in draft mode Lightroom allows you to customise the watermarks finishing options. It can
working from the available Library module or to save different watermarks for different projects. be uploaded to Blurb from
previews. The advantage of this is that you can Lightroom, and you’ll
print contact sheets or smaller-sized prints
from a shoot really quickly, because Lightroom 4 COLOR MANAGEMENT receive your book in the
post in about a week.
only needs to read the (already available)
Getting your final print to match the image
preview image on your screen is important, and thankfully Adobe WEB
data, rather than Lightroom has the same Color Management settings You can create your own
having to read
custom Web galleries
as Adobe Photoshop. In the Color Management without learning complex
and render the
setting you can select a colour printer profile for code, as Lightroom takes
entire image data
your printer and paper, and chose from Perceptual care of the work. Again,
for each image.
or Relative rendering intent. Perceptual creates a select the images for your
This can make
gallery, then select from
the print print closest to the perception of what you’ve one of the Preset Gallery
data-generation actually seen on screen, while Relative uses a colour options. From here the
process about range in the print that is relative to the colours on default settings can be
100 times faster modified and text added.
screen. The aim is, of course, to make the print
compared to When finished, the gallery
normal printing.
match the screen image as closely as possible, but
is saved to a folder, with
due to differences like the screen being backlit or the the HTML-coded internet
range of the inks in use, there may be a noticeable pages and resized images.
disparity between the Relative and Perceptual prints.
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Exporting images
Once your raw files are edited, you need to export them to render the final version. But with
so many options, what should you do? We explain...

1 EXPORT TO… especially clever, as this Preset will

The first decision to make is where you’re
going to save your exported image. Images can be
exported to a specific folder, to the same folder as
the original raw file or you can choose the export
location later, as the final stage in the process. The
‘Choose folder later…’ option is probably the best to
use in most instances, as it allows you to decide
where to save images on a case-by-case basis. This is
especially true if you plan to use a lot of Preset
export options. For example, you may require the
same file-size settings for numerous projects you’re
working on, but want the images to be saved to
different locations. You can apply your Preset export
settings to a batch of images at once, but rather than
the images being saved to a default location you can
choose a different location every time.
If you’re working on a final set of images, or perhaps
web versions of images, then another useful option
is to ‘Put in Subfolder’. This option can work very
well when combined with the ‘Export To: Same As
Original Photo’ option. So, for example, if I have all
my raw files from my trip to Malta in a folder called
‘Malta’, I can have a Preset that creates a sub-folder
in the Malta folder called ‘Web Images’. It will then
save lower-resolution JPEG files in this folder. It’s
also work with all my Lake District
images: in each case all the Preset is
doing is creating a new folder called
‘Web Images’ in a parent folder.
2 FILE SETTINGS
The options available in the
File Settings window depend on the
Plug-in Manager allows you to add
format that you wish to save the image as. Images
export options
can be exported as JPEG, TIFF, PSD, DNG or as the
same as the original file type. Most of the time, files
will be exported as JPEGs and you’ll have the option
to choose the colour space, the quality and whether
to limit the final file size. As with all the various
export options, the choices you make will depend
entirely on what you plan to do with the exported
image. Obviously, if you’re saving the image for ‘Once you’ve
website use it may be worth limiting the file size. worked
However, if the image is going to be printed, the out how to
JPEG quality setting should be set to 100, or the file
export
should be exported as an uncompressed TIFF file.
your images,
IMAGE SIZING it’s worth
3 One of the most useful tools within the saving it as
Export setting is the ability to alter the size of the a Preset’

EXPERT TIP
Those who subscribe to the Adobe
Creative Cloud will be able to create
collections that synchronise with
Lightroom Mobile. When you do this,
there is a Make Public button in the
Toolbar. Clicking on this generates a web
link that can be shared with clients or
family, that will allow them to view your
images as a web gallery. Anyone with an
Adobe ID (they don’t have to be a
subscriber to the Cloud) can also interact
with a Lightroom web view gallery to
add likes and comments. The Lightroom
web view images are also dynamically
updated as you make any edit changes When you sync a collection with
to the master images in Lightroom. You Lightroom Mobile you can share it with
can invite clients to monitor the progress friends and colleagues via a web link
of a shoot edit as they process the
master images in Lightroom.

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 1

2 Creating a text or graphic watermark is simple

POST-PROCESSING
3 5 If you plan to carry on working on your
image once you’ve exported it, you’ll find options in
the Post-Processing tab for what to do after
exporting. If you plan to edit in Adobe Photoshop,
4
then there’s already an option in the menu for this,
although you can also choose any other installed
5 application in which to open the image.

image. This can be useful if you have to submit a
photograph for a competition, or to a stock library
that requires images of a specific size. It also allows
you to create smaller versions of your images for
internet use. There are numerous options under the
‘Resize to Fit’ drop-down menu, including the
ability to save an image at a set number of
megapixels, or to apply a specific dimension to the
longest or shortest edge of an image – which is
particularly useful if your images are a mix of
portrait and landscape format. It’s also worth noting
that there is a ‘Don’t Enlarge’ option. With this
option selected images will not be made any larger
than their original dimensions.
PRESETS
Most photographers will have certain
6 ways of working with their images
that they will use time and again. This
is why once you’ve worked out how you’re
going to export your images it’s worth saving
it as a Preset. You may wish to have an option
that lets you export an image at a specific size
for your blog, or one that will allow you to
export an image that is perfect for a glossy A3
print. Once you have created the Preset, you’ll
find that it’s available in the right-click menu in
Lightroom. All you have to do is right-click on
the image, select your chosen Preset export
and Lightroom will start rendering it.

WATERMARKING
4 Although having a large watermark
on your images can be distracting, a small copyright
notice with your name and perhaps a website link
can be very useful if you’re putting your images
online. Within the Export panel of Adobe
Lightroom there’s the option to add a watermark,
and you can create your own using the built-in
watermark editor. This is extremely simple and basic
to use, and allows you to add a watermark in the
form of text or a graphic. Usefully, there’s the option
to add the watermark at a size proportional to the
exported image, so you don’t need to have different
watermarks depending on the size of the image that
you’re exporting.
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 p h o t o s h o p

The original image of the

church of St Thomas a
Becket in Fairfeld, Kent,
before the ‘food’

Fairfeld
refections
the Displace Filter is often overlooked, but it can be a great tool for
transforming irregular surfaces, as Phil Hall shows in this refection technique

Tucked away among the plethora of Photoshop
flters is Displace, which is perhaps one of the oldest
flters in the programme’s arsenal. Designed to allow
you to place artwork realistically on an irregular
surface, it is perfectly suited for overlaying text onto a
brick wall, for example, and will ensure the text
follows the contours of the bricks. This displacement
mapping requires two elements – the image (or text)
you wish to distort and the picture you want the frst
image to overlay (the displacement map). It works by
interpreting the brightness value of greys in the map.
That’s one way of using the Displace flter, but it
can also be used to create a lifelike water refection.
This is achieved by making your own displacement
map, which can then be applied to a fipped image
so it appears as a refection.
about the format of the image you pick – portrait
format doesn’t really work, because once the image
is fipped you’ll be left with a long, thin canvas.
As you can see from the shot we’ve used here, the
angle is low and, thanks to the uncluttered fore-
ground, the join between the images is quite natural.
While this technique naturally lends itself to
landscape images, don’t be afraid to experiment with
other subjects.
This Photoshop Displacement
Map recreates water

Things To consider
To achieve a successful result, you have to consider
the image you use. Images from a higher viewpoint
tend to look a little awkward, while those shot from
a lower angle look more natural. As the image is Using the Displace Filter
going to be fipped, you need to look for a point gives the impression of
where the two elements can be joined seamlessly so water fooding
the foreground
it won’t look out of place. You also need to think
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step by step
1 Displacement map
Go to File>New and create a new document at
1,000x2,000 pixels, in RGB mode with white as the fll.
Once opened, go to Filter>Noise>Add Noise and in the
pop-up box set the amount to 400% and Distribution
as Gaussian, with Monochromatic ticked. Then go to
Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur and set the amount to 2.0px.
4 aDD Distance
Return to the Channels panel, select Red, hit Q for Quick
Mask Mode and draw a Gradient (white to black) from
top to bottom before hitting Q again. Go to Edit> Fill and
select 50% Grey. Select the Green channel, hit Q and
draw another gradient – this time from the top down,
but only by 15-20%. Hit Q and fll with 50% grey.
7 Flip
Go to Edit>Transform>Flip Vertical and then move
it into position. Crop the image if necessary before
holding down Ctrl and clicking on the fipped
thumbnail in the Layers palette to make a selection. Go
to Filter>Blur>Motion Blur and enter an angle of 90°
and a Distance of 65px to soften the image.
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2 emboss
In the Channels palette, select the Red channel, then
Filter>Stylize>Emboss. Set the angle to 180°, height at
1px and amount to 500%. Then select the Green
channel and Emboss again. This time set it to 90°,
with everything else the same as before. Select the
Blue channel and go to Edit>Fill and fll with black.
5 blur anD save
Select the Layers palette and apply a Gaussian Blur of
1.5px before saving. It’s important to save it as a
Photoshop PSD fle, ensuring Maximum Compatibility
is applied – if you’re unsure, go to File>Preferences>
File Handling. With the Displacement Map saved, we
can now look at applying this to an image.
8 aDD ripples
Select Layer 1, hit Ctrl and click on the thumbnail. Go
to Filter>Distort Displace. In the pop-up box, set the
Horizontal Scale to 50 and Vertical Scale to 125 (you
may need to experiment), select Stretch To Fit and Repeat
Edge Pixels, then hit OK. Find where your Displacement
Map is saved and watch the magic happen.
3 transForm
Select the RGB layer and then select the Layers palette.
Go to Edit>Transform>Perspective, pulling a bottom
corner outwards until the width is 600%. Hit return
and repeat. Resize the image by going to Edit>
Transform>Scale, setting the height to 50%, with the
white space cropped to leave a 1,000px square fle.
6 select image
Open a suitable image to apply a refection to, and
extend the Canvas (Image>Canvas and in the pop-up
box, set the Anchor point in the top middle, setting the
Height at 200%). Then make a selection, paying
attention to the point you want the refection to begin.
Hit Ctrl+C and then Ctrl+V to paste into a new layer.
9 Finishing touches
To fnish, go to Layer>New Layer, then select the
Gradient Tool from the Toolbox, picking ‘Foreground
to Transparent’ as the Gradient. Select a dark grey as
your foreground colour and then apply a gradient
from the bottom to the middle of the image. Change
the Blending Mode to Multiple and reduce the Opacity.