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INSPIR AT ION IDE A S IN-DEP TH RE V IEWS

REVIEW: LEICA M11

THE CLASSIC RANGEFINDER
LINE GETS A HIGH-TECH
UPDATE

40 TIPS FOR
BETTER LANDSCAPES
EXPERT ADVICE FOR CAPTURING
DRAMATIC AND CREATIVE IMAGES
 W E L C O M E

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 CONTENTS
FIND OUT WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE
NEWS
F E AT U R E
PANASONIC LUMIX GH6
IS A VIDEO POWERHOUSE
Plus: Sigma announces trio of
f/1.4 primes for Fujifilm X mount

F E AT U R E
40 LANDSCAPE SECRETS
Professional tips for taking your
scenic pictures to the next level
PHOTOS
GALLERY
Our pick of the best reader
images from around the world

I N S P I R AT I O N I N S P I R AT I O N
TWO’S COMPANY
Enchanting image of squirrels
wins close-up photo challenge
CRASH COURSE

PHOTOS BEAUTIFUL BUBBLES

Combine oil, water and colourful
backdrops for stunning effects
PHOTOSHOP
EXPLORE NEW DEPTHS
Mimic in-camera depth of field
effects with a powerful AI filter

CRASH COURSE PHOTOSHOP

GEAR
JUS T
LEICA M11 39¢/39p
Leica’s latest M-series
camera combines all
PER ISSUE!
WHEN YOU SUBSCR IBE
of the brand’s retro
rangefinder charm with Turn
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HE our
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C R I P T ION
PAGE FOR
page MOR E more
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some cutting-edge
Cover Image © Getty

tech. We go old-school
for our in-depth review
 N E W S

W H AT ’ S H O T
THE WEEK’S TOP HEADLINES IN PHOTOGRAPHY

NEW PANASONIC LUMI X GH6

IS A V IDEO POWERHOUSE
Mirrorless flagship offers internal 5.7K ProRes and unlimited recording

© Panasonic
fter missing its 2021 release 5.7K 60p, and 5.8K anamorphic using and the High Resolution stills mode now

A window, the Panasonic Lumix

GH6 has finally arrived, and the
new GH flagship is a video powerhouse
that comes packing a new 25.2MP
sensor, 5.7K 30p internal video in ProRes
4:2:2 HQ, and unlimited recording.
The GH6 becomes the first Micro
Four Thirds camera to use CFexpress
Type B cards, facilitating an almost
overwhelming capacity for high-end
video recording – including 4:2:0 10-bit
capture for Cinema 4K 60p internal
(with simultaneous 4:2:2 HDMI output),
the full sensor area.
As is par for the course with GH
cameras, the GH6 offers supreme
frame-rate flexibility; 4:2:0 10-bit 4K can
be captured at up to 120p, while 4:2:2
10-bit 1080p is available up to 240p (via
High Frame Rate) with audio. If you want
to achieve even slower slow motion,
1080p tops out at 300fps when using
Variable Frame Rate.
The new 25.2MP sensor (with no
low-pass filter) sets a new resolution
standard for Micro Four Thirds cameras,
enables you to capture 100MP images
without a tripod.
This is thanks to the improved in-body
image stabilisation gyro and algorithm,
which now offers up to 7.5 stops of
compensation when used with lenses
supporting Dual IS2 (all of which will
require a firmware update for the GH6).
Another first for G-series cameras
is the inclusion of V-Log / V-Gamut, to
maximise the GH6’s 12 stops of dynamic
range – which increases to 13 stops
when employing the Dynamic Range

THE WEEK’S TOP HEADLINES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Boost mode. This acts in a similar way
to Panasonic’s dual gain readout (which
is distinct from dual native ISO), and
employs a base ISO of 800 to produce
a high-saturation image and ISO2000
to capture a low-noise image; these
images are composited, at up to 60p,
for rich HDR video.
Audio gets as much love as video,
with the new flagship supporting
4-channel, 24-bit, 48kHz or 96kHz
SIGMA ANNOUNCES TR IO OF
F/1.4 PR IMES FOR X MOUNT
igma has announced three
S new f/1.4 primes for Fujifilm
X mount. The lens specialist
makes optics for a wide range of
camera mounts, but these new 16mm,
30mm and 56mm DC DN Contemporary
lenses are its first for Fujifilm X cameras.
These trio cover similar territory to
Fujifilm’s own premium prime lenses,
but the Sigma alternatives will be
considerably cheaper.
This move makes sense for Sigma,
which already makes these lenses
in Sony E and Canon EF-M APS-C
versions, and L-mount versions too, but
it’s especially good news for Fujifilm
users, because although Fujifilm’s own
lens range is now pretty extensive, its
own equivalents to these new Sigma
lenses are two to three times the price.
The 16mm lens is equivalent to a
24mm f/1.4 in full-frame terms, and
offers a wide 83.2-degree angle of view
and a fast maximum aperture at a very
reasonable price of £369 / $459. It’s not
exactly compact at 72.2 x 92.6mm and
405g, and like most primes it doesn’t
have image stabilisation, but it does
boast fast and quiet stepping motor
N E W S
recording via the XLR microphone
adapter. The 2-channel built-in
microphone also supports 24-bit 48kHz.
While the GH6 remains the same
size as the Panasonic GH5 Mark II, with
a 3-inch 1,840k articulating screen and
3,680k OLED viewfinder, it boasts an
active cooling system for truly unlimited
video recording – and, crucially, it
remains weather-sealed.
The camera also packs in much-
autofocus, two aspherical elements,
and two SLD and three FLD elements
for aberration control.
The 30mm f/1.4 offers an equivalent
focal length of 45mm on an APS-C
camera, making it an ideal fast standard
prime for X-mount cameras. Like the
other lenses in this trio, it’s part of
Sigma’s Contemporary series, so it
balances light weight and portability – it
measures 64.8 x 73.6mm and weighs
275g – with optical performance.
It uses fast, quiet stepping motor AF,
and has a rounded 9-bladed diaphragm
requested features like waveforms,
zebras, frame markers, anamorphic
desqueeze displays, red REC frame
indicators and a Safety Zone Monitor.
What may remain a deal-breaker for
some, though, is that Panasonic is
sticking doggedly to its contrast-based
Depth From Defocus technology, rather
than embracing a phase-detect system.
The Panasonic GH6 will be available
in March for £1,999 / $2,199 body-only.
© Sigma
that should produce pleasing bokeh.
The lens is priced at £289 / $339.
The 56mm lens is equivalent to about
84mm in full frame terms, so it’s an ideal
portrait lens. The nearest equivalent is
the Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2, which is a
little faster but is twice the price.
Shorter and stubbier than the other
two new lenses, the Sigma 56mm f/1.4
has the same stepping motor AF and
rounded 9-bladed diaphragm as the
others, measures 66.5 x 59.8mm and
weighs 280g. It will cost £379 / $479.
All three lenses will be available in April.
 F E
LANDSCAPE TIPS & TRICKS
40
James Abbott shares key techniques and tips that will help you take your
landscape photography to the next level and shoot successful scenics
hooting landscapes is all about
S capturing the great outdoors
in ways that enable you to
share your vision with others. Whether
you’re aiming for dramatic light at
the golden hour, or taking a more
subdued documentary approach,
there’s something for everyone in this
varied genre. Capturing dramatic light,
vivid colours and interesting weather
conditions are all sure-fire approaches
for successful images, and this is
where we’ll focus our attention.
As the legendary landscape
A T U R
photographer Ansel Adams once
said: “The single most important
component of a camera is the 12
inches behind it” – you, in other words.
With this idea in mind, here are
40 landscape photography tips that
will ultimately help you to improve
as a photographer, and make those
12 inches even more important.
Some tips may even surprise and
excite you in ways that lead to a
eureka moment, where the pieces
of the landscape photography puzzle
finally fall into place.
E
This image of the frozen loch on Rannoch
Moor in the Scottish Highlands was taken at
dawn. Protruding reeds on the frozen water
draw the viewer’s eye into the shot, and the
lit-up orange on the mountains from the
rising sun contrasts with the blue water.
1/2 ISO
f/16 SEC 50
© Getty
01 NEVER GIVE UP
We’ve only just got started, so telling
you to never give up may seem a little
premature… but it’s essential if you’re going
to capture the images you want. Planning
a landscape image can take days, weeks,
months or even years, so you have to be
prepared to wait for that perfect moment.
For the image above, planning ahead and
arriving at the location early meant that we
were in position to capture the mountains
as the low sun struck them.
 F E A T U R E

02 CREATE BALANCE
Compositional devices are the perfect
way to bring balance to your images,
and to lead the viewer into and through
your landscape captures. The main
three guidelines that you can use are
the rule of thirds, foreground interest
and lead-in or leading lines.
The main image on the right uses
the rule of thirds to create visual balance
in the scene. The rule of thirds is where
you imagine the camera frame is divided
by two horizontal and two vertical lines,
forming nine equally sized rectangles.
Focal points and foreground interest are
then positioned at the four points where
these lines intersect, and the horizon is
placed on the top or bottom horizontal
line. Many cameras allow you to turn
on this grid in the viewfinder and on the
rear screen to aid with composition.
It’s simple, but highly effective.

6 ISO Left Composing the most prominent rocks in

f/13 SEC 50 this scene according to the rule of thirds creates
foreground interest in the water, making for a
visually well-balanced image.

© 3x James Abbott

Lead-in lines are linear elements in a scene, such as a road, a wall, or a Foreground interest is an area or objects that have a relationship to the
stream, which typically start in the bottom area of the frame and lead the scene, and which is included in the foreground to fill empty space, and
viewer’s eye into the scene. Here, light trails accentuate the line of the road. to create a visual stepping stone into the image.
 F E
03 GO WIDE
It’s not always necessary to shoot
landscapes with ultra-wide-angle
lenses, but when you do, getting in
close to the foreground interest when
combined with the wide field of view
creates much more dramatic images.
This image was shot with a 12mm lens,
and the rocks were less than 30cm away
from the front of the lens.
A T U R E
04 GET HIGHER TO FIND
NEW PERSPECTIVES
Drones have gained huge popularity
in recent years because they allow
photographers to shoot from elevated
perspectives with ease. Whether you’re
shooting top-down landscapes, aerial
landscapes, or shots from head height
in places that are inaccessible on foot,
they’re an incredibly creative tool.
 F E
TOP 5 GEAR TIPS
5 SHOOT IN RAW
Capture raw files to give yourself more
control over how your images look.
Raw images often look flat straight out
of the camera, but they give you much
greater latitude for making adjustments
at the editing stage.
6 USE A TRIPOD
A tripod isn’t always necessary, but during
the golden hour and in low-light situations,
exposures will be too long for handholding
the camera, so using one is essential.
A T U R
Make your gear work for you
7 CHOOSE YOUR BAG WISELY
Your camera bag is as important as your
camera and lenses. Rear-entry backpacks,
and those which enable you to access
your kit without putting the bag down, are
particularly good options.
8 LESS IS MORE
It’s often tempting to carry everything with
you on a shoot, but being ruthless and only
taking your camera, a couple of lenses and
essential accessories will save your back,
and can encourage you to be more creative.
E
9 TAKE CONTROL
WITH FILTERS
Filters are a landscape photographer’s
best friend. A polariser performs several
functions, including reducing glare and
boosting skies, neutral density (ND) filters
enable you to shoot longer exposures, and
ND grads help you retain detail in bright
skies without underexposing the landscape.
 F E A T U R E
A shallow depth of field has blurred the
foreground here, creating a sense of
movement in the crops without the need
for an ND filter and a long exposure.

1/60 ISO
f/1.8 SEC 100

10 SHOOT WIDE-OPEN 3
We’re often told that landscapes need to be pin-sharp from
the foreground interest all the way to the background, but while
this is indeed a great approach for many scenes, it’s not your WHY THIS SHOT WORKS
only option, and shooting at the maximum aperture of your 1 The focal point of the scene is the
lens can produce interesting results in certain situations. By lighthouse, and it’s pin-sharp, ensuring
focusing on the focal point, you can allow the foreground to that it stands out within the scene.
blur in a pleasing way, which can help to add a sense of depth 2 The path through the crops acts as
and three-dimensionality. A 20mm f/1.8 is a fantastic lens for a lead-in line, helping to draw the
shooting shallow depth-of-field landscapes. They’re also perfect viewer’s eye towards the focal point.
for landscapes in general, because of the wide field of view and 3 The out-of-focus crops add a sense of
© James Abbott

the fact that they’re so small and light, and they’re also great for movement, and this area contributes to
astrophotography, making them hugely versatile. the composition without dominating.
 F E A T U R E

11 BAD WEATHER CAN BE GOOD WEATHER
There’s almost no such thing as ‘bad’ weather
in landscape photography. Of course, when
the weather forecast says it will be raining
torrentially all day, your chances of success
will be reducted; but in changeable weather,
shooting at the point of change between
stormy and fine weather can produce some
of the most dramatic results.
This image was taken at sunrise, as a
snowstorm started to blow over the camera
position and towards the horizon. If it wasn’t
for the bright light out to sea on the horizon,
the image would be extremely dull, but the
combination of the light and moodiness
helped to make the shot work.
© James Abbott
EXPERT ADVICE
1 Take risks with the weather and you’ll
sometimes be rewarded with amazing results.
2 Changeable weather often produces the
most dramatic results, at any time of day.
3 Bright sunshine and cloudless skies are a
landscape photographers’ nemesis.

12 CARRY AN
UMBRELLA AND CLAMPS
Putting your kit away when it starts to rain
can be a hassle. One way to avoid having to
do this is to carry an umbrella, and attach it
to your tripod with a clamp. Just make sure
it doesn’t get blown over!
 F E A T U R E

TOP 5 MOTIVATION TIPS Be positive and reap rewards

13 ARRIVE EARLY,
LEAVE LATE
The point at which the sun passes the
horizon isn’t necessarily the best time
to shoot. Aim to be on location an hour
before sunrise, and up to an hour after
sunset, to enjoy many more varied
opportunities.

14 DO IT FOR YOURSELF
Shoot the kinds of landscape images
you enjoy, purely for your own
enjoyment. Don’t get caught up in the
quest for likes on social media platforms.

15 TRY TO FORGET
ABOUT GEAR
Getting new kit is always exciting,
but it won’t guarantee better images.
Working within the limitations of existing
kit can inspire creative workarounds.

16 SHOOT AS OFTEN
AS POSSIBLE
You know what they say: practice makes
perfect. Go out and take photos as often
as possible to refine your skills, hone your
eye, learn to work more efficiently, and get
to know your kit inside out.

17 TAKE A PHOTO
WORKSHOP
Taking a group or one-to-one workshop
with a professional photographer you
admire is the perfect way to improve
your skills. As well as getting better at
the basics, you’ll be able to pick up skills
particular to that photographer.
 F E A T U R E

30 ISO
f/8 SEC 320

A centrally composed subject and a

© James Abbott
centrally positioned horizon work perfectly
for this silhouetted scene, shot at the end
of a dull and overcast day.

18 TAKE RISKS AND BREAK THE RULES

Think of the rules of composition as
guidelines, rather than laws you must always
adhere to. That said, before you begin
experimenting with weird and wonderful
compositions that go against these rules,
make sure you understand how and why the
rules so effective in most situations. Once
you’re confident that you understand and
can adhere to the rules, you can then break
them meaningfully, and indeed creatively,
rather than just doing so accidentally.
The same goes for camera settings such
as shutter speed and aperture; certain
types of landscape images typically use
specific settings, like a narrow aperture for a
broad depth of field, but that doesn’t mean
you have to slavishly follow them – once you
understand why they’re used.
EXPERT ADVICE
1 To broaden your creativity, experiment with
techniques and approaches that you haven’t
used before.
2 Capture a variety of shots when you’re at
a location; changing a composition only takes
a few seconds.
3 Use multiple techniques with the same
composition to give yourself options.

19 EXPLORE 20 CAPTURE
VIEWPOINTS DETAILS
Not all shots are best The wider scene is most
taken from head height. often the main reason
Before setting up your you visit any location,
tripod, try different but while you wait for
viewpoints around your the optimal light for
main subject, including your main shot, look for
different heights from other interesting details.
ground level to head Whether it’s cracked
height, and in-between. earth, rocks, seaweed or
Exploring the creative moss-covered drystone
possibilities will help walls, there’s often more
you to capture a greater to a location than wider
variety of interesting scenic images.
shots of a location.
 F E A T U R
21 TURN OFF
NOISE REDUCTION
Long-exposure noise reduction is often
turned on by default, but when you’re
shooting raw files there’s no need to have
it switched on, because you can apply
noise reduction during post-processing.
The problem with long-exposure noise
reduction is that it takes as long as the
exposure to process, so a two-minute
exposure will require another two minutes
of in-camera processing.
22 TRY USING
A TELEPHOTO LENS
Not all landscapes require the use of a wide-
angle lens, and carrying a telephoto such
as a 70-200mm is always recommended.
Telephotos are essential for woodland
photography to avoid converging verticals,
as they force you to shoot from further away,
which means the camera doesn’t need to
be tilted upwards. Telephoto lenses are also
useful for capturing mountain scenes and for
shooting into valleys.
23 USE A RAIN COVER
Many cameras these days offer a degree
of weather sealing, which means you don’t
have to worry about getting caught out
in the rain. But the problem with a wet
camera, even if it is weather-sealed, is that
it will need to be dried before you put it
back in your kit bag. Use a rain cover, a
large microfibre cloth or even a shower cap
to keep the camera dry so you can put it
away quickly.
24 SHOOT MONO
WITH INTENTION
Black-and-white is a photographic
treatment that’s as popular as
ever, with the abstraction from
colour forcing us to focus on
the tones, textures and shapes
in landscapes. Black-and-white
works well in many situations, but
not necessarily when it’s used to
hide poor weather conditions or
incorrect white balance. Go out
with the intention of shooting
mono, and you’ll find the results
are much more effective.
E
TOP 5
EDITING
TIPS
Edit landscapes like a pro
25 GET IT RIGHT
IN-CAMERA
Shoot in raw and aim to capture the
best possible exposure in-camera.
This will give you the best starting
point, as your images will require less
aggressive processing.
26 CALIBRATE
YOUR MONITOR
Failure to calibrate your monitor can
result in incorrect brightness, contrast
and colours when images are viewed
on other devices and in print, which can
cause unnecessary headaches.
27 USE LOCAL
ADJUSTMENTS
When you’re editing in Lightroom,
Photoshop and other software,
take advantage of localised adjustment
tools to make your images look their
best by only applying edits to the areas
that need to be altered.
28 APPLY LENS
CORRECTIONS
Raw editing software allows you to
remove lens distortions, including any
chromatic aberration that’s present in
your images, at the click of a button
using lens-specific profiles.
29 KEEP IT NATURAL
Less can often be more. When it
comes to editing landscapes it can be
all too easy to go too far, resulting in
images that look overprocessed and
unreal. Process with care, and aim for
a natural-looking finish.
 F E A T U R E

30 ALWAYS BE PREPARED
Shooting landscapes can be a solitary
pursuit that sees you essentially out on
your own in the middle of nowhere for
long periods. And even if you regularly
shoot with other people, planning ahead
and being prepared will help to make
your shoots more successful, and
ultimately safer too.
Being equipped for all types of
weather is essential, so unless wall-
to‑wall sunshine is forecast, it’s usually
worth carrying waterproofs and warm
clothing. And whether you’re visiting
new locations or revisiting old ones,
there are some viewpoints where it’s
essential to use a map to navigate
from your car to the location.
Smartphones and apps such
as ViewRanger, OS Maps and even
Google Maps are incredibly useful for
navigation, but you should still carry
a traditional map and compass in the
event of running out of power, losing
signal or even losing your phone.

Always be prepared by carrying items

such as a first aid kit, emergency blanket,
torches and gloves – and if you’re
venturing off the beaten track, don’t forget
a map and compass.

Make sure you’re always

carrying the clothing you
need to stay warm and Location guidebooks are great resources
dry if the weather changes. for finding new locations and planning
It’s always better to have before you visit. These books often
something you don’t need include maps and hugely useful parking
than not to have something information.
you do need.
 F E
TOP 5 LOCATION TIPS
31 BE ORIGINAL
‘Honeypot’ locations are popular because,
well, they’re great locations. When you visit
these locations, grab the archetypal shot by
all means, but also try to find more unusual
and distinctive shots, too.
32 REVISIT LOCATIONS
Even if you visit a location and all the
elements fall into place, allowing you to
capture the perfect shot, aim to revisit in
different seasons and weather conditions
in order to grow your portfolio; this will also
help you to hone new skills.
A T U R E
Get more from the places you shoot
33 EMBRACE LUCK 35 BE FRIENDLY
Planning is incredibly important for You’ll inevitably meet other photographers
increasing your chances of success, while you’re shooting. Rather than shying
but there’s no denying that landscape away from everyone, why not start a
photography often relies on a huge burst conversation? You might make a new friend
of good luck. So when it comes your way, or pick up some invaluable local knowledge.
make the most of it.
34 BE PATIENT
Waiting around can be boring, but if you
arrive at a location and the conditions aren’t
what you hoped for, set up anyway and wait
to see if things change – you only need the
right few seconds to get the shot.
 F E A T U R E

36 READ THE HISTOGRAM 37 EXPOSE TO THE RIGHT

The histogram on your camera is a useful tool for assessing
exposure, especially for checking that the highlights haven’t
blown – which you’ll know has happened if the right edge of the
histogram is touching the side of the graph. Shadow detail can
be recovered, but blown highlights are lost forever.
Exposing to the right is where you use the histogram to assess the
exposure, then increase the shutter speed so the histogram moves
to the right as much as possible, without blowing the highlights.
You can then reduce the exposure during post-processing if
needed, with cleaner shadow detail naturally captured.

38 UNDERSTAND EXPOSURE
Understanding the ‘exposure triangle’ and how ISO, aperture and
shutter speed are related by reciprocity is fundamental for quick
thinking and problem-solving. Understanding how different settings
affect your images will ultimately increase your creative options.
39 TRY TO SEEK OUT LOCAL SCENES
What you consider to be local may depend on how far you’re willing
to travel for a sunrise in the summer months, but photographing
locations that are close to home gives you the opportunity to get to
know them intimately, and to shoot them at different times of the
day and in different seasons.

40 GET INSPIRED
BY THE WORK OF
OTHERS
Social media can be an echo
chamber where people simply
copy one another, resulting
in what you might call an
‘Instagram aesthetic’. For
inspiration, look at books by
photographers whose work
you admire, and use movies
and TV for ideas to help you
develop a creative edge.
 S U B S C R I B E

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 G A L L E R Y

XPOSURE
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS

BATTERED BLACK & BLUE

ROSS FARNHAM
“The redevelopment of the iconic Battersea Power Station in London has recently
been completed, and I wanted to get shots of it at sunset and into the blue hour.
This is a blend of multiple long exposures to get the smoothest possible effect
in the waters of the Thames, a technique that I’m using more and more.”
https://bit.ly/3oxd8Oj
 G A L L E R Y
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS

CITY STYLE
LUCA SANTORO
“I shot this street portrait during a photo session with my
model Marta Vitali – I love her pose and expression.”
https://bit.ly/3fv7b0p
 G A L L E R Y
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS

DINGLE PENINSULA
LLOYD LANE
“During a week exploring the south-west of Ireland at the end of
2021, I came to Dunquin Pier on the Dingle peninsula, and these
winding steps, during some wonderfully moody conditions.”
http://bit.ly/2NhWpjJ
 G A L L E R Y
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS

FROM THE OTHER SHORE

MARIO OTTAVIANI
“Lake Branchino is located in the Orobie Prealps, between the Seriana and Brembana valleys
in northern Italy. This shot was taken after an early morning walk, along the paths of these
wild and fascinating valleys, before the sun rose from behind the mountains in front of us.”
https://bit.ly/34ZwUMj

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 I N S P I R A T I O N

I T ’ S C O O L , T H AT
THE BEST THING WE’ VE SEEN THIS WEEK

Images © The photographer and courtesy Close-up Photographer of the Year

True Love by Alex Pansier - 1st place Blue Beauty Morning by Roelof de Hoog - Finalist

Mature Comatricha by Barry Webb - 2nd place German Wasps, Vespula germanica by Alan Clark - Finalist

CANOODLING SQUIRRELS WIN

CLOSE-UP PHOTO CHALLENGE
‘Two of a Kind’ competition proves that good things really do come in pairs
captivating photo of two squirrels
A sharing a poppy has won the second
CUPOTY Challenge, a standalone
competition run by Close-up Photographer
of the Year in association with Affinity Photo.
The theme of the challenge was ‘Two of
a Kind’, with entrants encouraged to
submit images featuring pairs of animals,
insects, plants or other subjects. The
charming winning image was taken on a
lawn in Vienna by Dutch photographer
Alex Pansier.
“I really enjoyed watching them working
together, like father and son,” Pansier says.
“For me, observing and photographing
nature is a great way to unwind and share
the beauty that’s all around us.”
Click the link to see all the winning and SEE MOR E IM AGE S
finalist images from ‘Two of a Kind’ at the h t t p s : // bi t . ly/ 3BL k f Z J
CUPOTY website. The fourth annual
Close-up Photographer of the Year main
competition is currently open for entries.
 S K I L L S

CRASH COURSE
ESSENTIAL PHOTO SKILLS MADE EASY

CREATE AN OILY ABSTR AC T

Mike Harris shows you how to cook up a storm by combining
oil and water to produce eye-catching graphic effects

If you paid attention back in
1
HOUR
science class you’ll recall
that oil and water don’t mix.
When you combine the two
liquids, the insoluble oil rises to the
surface and clumps together, and this
very often results in the formation of
perfectly round droplets that make
fantastic abstract subjects.
Oil and water photography is an
ideal technique for beginners looking
to embark on a dedicated project,
because it doesn’t require much
equipment and can deliver excellent
results. We captured our images
with a macro lens and a tripod with a
tilting centre column, which enables
us to fix our camera in a top-down
position. While both of these items
are preferable, standard kit lenses
often have decent close-focusing
capabilities, and it’s quite possible to
achieve fast enough shutter speeds
to enable you to shoot handheld.
Household items make up the rest
of your setup, and once you’ve nailed
this relatively simple technique you
can begin experimenting with various
compositions and backgrounds.
Something as simple as coloured
paper can work well, but making your
own backgrounds is hugely rewarding.
Abstract paintings are ideal, and we
used digital creations displayed on an
old tablet screen; while paper needs
to be illuminated using continuous
lighting, the bright LED screen of a
tablet acts like a light box.
A word of warning: exercise extreme
caution when placing electronic
devices near liquids, and never connect
them to a power source when doing so!

TOP TIPS CLOSE-UP KIT
Everything you need to capture awesome oil-bubble abstracts
1 CAMERA AND LENS
You can use any close-focusing lens ,
but if you’re using an interchangeable
lens camera we’d recommend using
a dedicated macro lens with a 1:1 ratio
for the very best results. We paired our
Nikon D800 with the Tamron SP 90mm
f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 VC USD.
3
4 BUILD A BASE
Your glass dish needs to sit a couple
of inches above your work surface so
that you can place various backgrounds
beneath it. We used four small tin cans
to evenly elevate our cookware, but
you could use any household items
that you have to hand.
S K I L L S
2 TOP-DOWN TRIPOD
It’s possible to shoot handheld, but
a tripod allows you to fine-tune your
framing, and leaves your hands free to
manage your subject and backgrounds.
A tripod with a tilting central column is
essential, as this will allow you to shoot
from a top-down angle.
5 OIL AND DISH SOAP
We used olive oil to make our bubbles,
but vegetable or sunflower oil should
work too. A neat trick is to add a couple
drops of washing up liquid to your
solution – this helps the bubbles retain
their form, and appear more prominent
by providing slightly more relief.
3 GLASS DISH
A glass oven dish will allow your
background to show through – just
make sure you give it a quick buff
beforehand! Ours had the brand
name etched into the bottom, but a
couple inches of water, combined with
shallow depths of field, completely
blurred this out.
5
6 TABLET TIP
The traditional way to create the
background is to use coloured paper or
a painted background and continuous
lighting, but a neat trick is to display your
background on a tablet or smartphone
screen to provide both vibrant colours
and adequate illumination.
 S K I L L S
HOW TO CREATE AND CAPTURE ABSTRACT EFFECTS

DIY DIGITAL BACKGROUNDS

Use a smart device as a light box
Anything on your tablet or phone display can be used
as a backdrop, but colourful images work a treat – and
making your own backgrounds from scratch is hugely
rewarding and easy to do. We had the most success
using the Gradient Tool and soft brushes.
Open a blank Photoshop document and select the
Gradient Tool before clicking on the Gradient Picker
dropdown menu. You’ll find a variety of presets with
complementary colours, or you can click the coloured
box next to the Gradient Picker arrow to edit the colours
yourself. Simply click-and-drag your cursor over the blank
document to draw the gradient. Alternatively, using
brushes to create your background affords you more
control, and you’ll be able to include as many colours as
you like. We used large round brushes (using the square
bracket keys to adjust the size) set to 0% hardness.
Keep painting with various colours over the document
until it’s completely covered and you’re happy with the
aesthetic. Once you’re finished, head to the top toolbar
and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. The higher the
Radius setting the blurrier your image will appear,
blending the colours together.

GET SET UP
Add a little oil
We set up our (crystal-
clean) oven dish on four
tin cans, leaving enough
room to place the desired
background beneath.
Position your tripod, and
extend and tilt the centre
column before attaching your
camera. Carefully pour water
into the dish. The waterline
should be high enough so
that the shallow depth of
field blurs any imperfections
or scratches on the bottom
of the glassware, but not
so high that you’re liable to
cause spillages. Add a couple
of drops of washing-up liquid
before adding
droplets of oil.
Once everything is
set up and safely
decanted, position
your background
beneath the dish.
 S K I L L S
HOW TO CREATE AND CAPTURE ABSTRACT EFFECTS

CAMERA SETTINGS
Switch to manual focus
Switch your camera’s shooting
mode to either Aperture Priority or
Manual mode. Whether you’re using
continuous lighting to illuminate a
physical background or the light from
an LED screen, you should be able to
use a relatively low ISO – we selected
ISO400, which was low enough so as
not to visibly impact image quality, but
high enough to enable shutter speeds
above 1/100 sec. These speeds
helped mitigate the movement of the
oil droplets, as even the most light-
footed can disturb the water. Once
you’re ready to start capturing images,
consider using a 10-second self-timer
or remote shutter release so that you
can wait (keeping perfectly still) for the
water’s surface to settle before the
shutter is fired.
Close-up photographers usually
favour manual focus. To ensure that
your focus is spot-on for sharp images,
switch to Live View, and zoom in on
the edge of a bubble before adjusting
the focus accordingly.

EXPERIMENT
Bubbles and beyond
Once you’ve successfully
captured your first image it’s
time to start experimenting
with different backgrounds
and compositions. The more
oil you drip into a bubble,
the larger it will get, but take
care, because after only a
few minutes the perfectly
round bubbles will begin to
distort, and you’ll need to
prepare a fresh batch. When
you import your raw files you
may notice lots of smaller
bubbles when zoomed in.
These can be painstakingly
(but easily) removed using
the Spot Healing Brush
or Clone Stamp tool.
We’d also recommend
zooming in and scanning
your image for any
foreign objects that
may have settled on
the water, such as dust
particles and hair.
 E D I T I N G

PH OTOS H O P
LEARN ESSENTIAL EDITING SKILLS FAST!

W AT CH T HE V IDEO
h t t p s : // b i t . l y/ 3I 3o i m r

HOW TO... D O W NL O A D T HE
P R O J EC T F I L E S
h t t p : // b i t . l y/p h o _ 1 32

SIMULATE DEPTH OF FIELD ON A PC OR MAC

Discover how to use the Depth Blur filter to blur out a distracting backdrop
hotoshop offers various boxes
P of tricks for creating all kinds of
effects. There are tools and
filters that can transform your image into
something unreal, and others that let you
make more realistic changes. The Depth
Blur filter falls into the latter category.
As the name suggests, this filter can
mimic the effects of in-camera blur. If
your image has a foreground in front of
the subject, this is blurred too, and the
result is realistic fall-off in front of and
behind your focus plane, as you’ll
discover in this video tutorial.
We’ve been able to simulate
depth-of-field effects in Photoshop
for a long time by using filters like
Lens Blur, but Depth Blur is one of the
new range of neural filters, which work
by employing machine learning to
analyse the content of an image.
It recognises subjects, and applies the
blur to the areas in front of and behind
them without any effort on your part.
Not only does it blur the foreground and
background, it also creates transitional
blur, so the further away a point is from
your subject, the more blurred it is.
A range of controls within the neural
filter enables you to fine-tune the
characteristics of the blur. You can
expand or contract the plane of focus,
strengthen the blur, and add haziness.

WANT MORE PHOTOSHOP TUTORIALS? CHECK OUT PRACTICAL PHOTOSHOP

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Photoshop magazine. Each month you’ll find an array of inspirational tutorials and accompanying video
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from the world’s best Photoshop creatives, free downloadable content, and a beginner’s guide to the basics.
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 Buy. Sell. Trade. Create.

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picture. MPB puts cameras and lenses the limits
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 RANGEFINDER TEST
EXPERT OPINION ON THE L ATEST KIT
A classic rangefinder design… with a 60MP image sensor!
he Leica M11 is the latest
T edition in Leica’s long-running
M-series rangefinder line-up.
Unlike the mirrorless Leica SL2 and
SL2S, and the compact Leica Q2, this
is a real old-school camera that’s
manual focus only, and which doesn’t
even have a through-the-lens
viewfinder (although it does offer LCD
live view if you’re not a fan of using
the direct vision viewfinder).
Leica M cameras are a breed apart,
LEICA M11
www.leica-camera.com £7,500/$8,995
using a decades-old design that
takes a bit of mastering, and coming
with a price tag that puts them out of
reach for all but the most enthusiastic
amateurs and collectors.
But while the latest Leica M uses
a very old physical design, its digital
tech is bang up to date. This latest
model boasts a 60MP sensor, which
puts it right at the top of the tree for
full-frame resolution, alongside the
Sony A7R IV and Sigma fp L.
Key features
The headline feature of the M11 is
its 60-megapixel sensor, but other
resolutions are available. Leica calls
it a ‘triple-resolution’ sensor because
you can also shoot medium-sized
36MP images or smaller 18MP files,
all full-width, and in JPEG and DNG
format. Who would have ever thought
that one day, 36 megapixels would be
considered ‘medium’ resolution?
The M11’s sensor is matched up
 RANGEFINDER TEST LEICA M11

1 There’s nothing as crude as a ‘grip’ on the

front of a Leica M! Hold tight, or use a strap.

2 Leica M lenses are extremely expensive,

extremely small and extremely good.

3 The trademark detachable Leica M

baseplate is gone here – instead, you get
a regular flip-out battery.
01
4 The LCD delivers startlingly rich and deep
colours, but tends to make dark tones a
solid black.
02
5 The menu system is beautifully clear
and straightforward to use. Its strength is 03
in its simplicity.

6 Navigation still requires a physical

control pad, although operating it really
isn’t difficult.

7 The ISO dial can’t be turned by accident

– you have to pull it up in order to change
the setting.

8 There’s a physical shutter speed dial

on the top, but the M11 also has an 04
electronic shutter. 06
9 The power lever is around the shutter
release, making for a neat, uncluttered
top plate. 05

with a new Leica Maestro III processor

to offer a claimed 15 stops of dynamic
range, and improved, more natural
colour thanks to a new filter array. 09
Interestingly, Leica says that
the sensor is used for exposure 07
metering, even when you’re using
the viewfinder, so you now get a
Multi-Field metering mode.
Other interesting features include 08
a combination of mechanical and
electronic shutter – there’s a hybrid
mode where the camera will switch
automatically. there’s a USB-C port for image or silver, and the difference is more
Also, Leica has at last dropped the transfer and USB charging in the base than cosmetic. The black version uses
removable baseplate. Now, there’s alongside the battery. You also get a aluminium, and is 20% lighter than the
a spring-loaded battery in the base, Lightning cable for direct connection silver/brass model.
and flipping this out also reveals to an iPhone or iPad, part of Leica’s
the memory card slot (there’s 64GB Apple certification, perhaps – this is Build and handling
internal storage, too). useful for iOS users who find fixing Focusing and shooting with the Leica
Leica says the M11’s battery holds up a Wi-Fi connection annoying. M11 is different to anything else. The
64% more power than before, and You can get the M11 in either black viewfinder is a direct vision type,
 RANGEFINDER TEST LEICA M11
‘Wide open’ f/1.4 shots in bright light are made
possible by the M11’s electronic shutter
which offers bright line frames for
different focal lengths. We tested the
M11 with a Leica Summilux 28mm
f/1.4, and this angle of view is right
at the limit of the built-in viewfinder’s
angle of view. You can use wider
lenses, but you would have to switch
to Live View or get the optional Leica
Visoflex 2 EVF. Neither is ideal, so if
you are a fan of extra-wide lenses,
the M11 isn’t off to a great start –
although with 35mm or 50mm lenses,
it will be right in its sweet spot, with
room for you to see what’s going on
outside the frame.
The rangefinder focusing also
takes some learning, but it’s worth the
effort. You move the focus ring/lever
on the lens to align a ‘ghost image’ or
‘patch’ with your subject; when they
align, your subject is in focus.
The viewfinder’s clarity makes
it easy to focus. The rangefinder’s
© Rod Lawton
alignment with focus distances was
spot-on in our tests, and it’s faster
to use than manual focus+magnify
systems on mirrorless cameras.
You can also compose and focus in
Live View, but this doesn’t play to the
Leica’s strengths. The Live View does
have focus peaking, but this doesn’t
even approach the accuracy of the
rangefinder focusing.
The new baseplate design allows
for a larger battery and easier card
access, although having the USB port
on the base is a little annoying, as you
have to lie the camera on its back.
While it connects nicely to Apple
hardware, you’ll have to dip into the
menus to switch to the PTP protocol
in order to connect to a PC.
There’s no grip on the front of the
This shot typifies the dense, saturated,
M11, so you’ll want to use a neck strap.
© Rod Lawton
high-contrast Leica ‘look’ that we’ve
It doesn’t exactly fit your hands like a
come to expect
glove, but then it’s a Leica, so maybe
 RANGEFINDER TEST LEICA M11

ISO
LAB TESTS 100
Resolution (line widths/picture height)

200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 12800 25600

Leica M11 46.00 46.00 46.00 46.00 45.00 42.50 42.50 41.00 38.00

Leica M10-R 35.00 35.00 35.00 35.00 35.00 35.00 35.00

Sigma fp L 42.00 42.00 42.00 42.00 42.00 41.00 39.00 37.00 34.00

Sony A7R IV 45.00 45.00 45.00 45.00 44.00 42.00 42.00 40.00 38.00

RESOLUTION (LINE WIDTHS/PICTURE HEIGHT)

Resolution (line widths/picture height)
50

40

30

20
The M11 is available in classic silver/brass
and in an aluminium black version 10

0
100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 12800 25600
The Summilux does, however, offer
Leica M11 Leica M10-R Sigma fp L
a distinctive and unique Leica ‘look’, Sony A7R IV
where it remains very sharp at the We tested the Leica M11 against the Leica
focus point, but delivers an other- M10-R, the Sony A7R IV and the Sigma fp L.
worldy look in out-of-focus areas. The M11 has an edge by virtue of its extra-sharp
The Multi-Field exposure system image quality. With ‘only’ 40MP on tap, the older
does a great job. If anything, it leans M10-R can’t compete, but it performs well at
higher sensitivities.
towards underexposure, but that’s a ISO 100
Signal to noise ratio (decibels)

200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 12800 25600

classic Leica look, perfect for editing, Leica M11

Leica M10-R
38.73

40.75
36.77

36.74
33.45

33.80
31.20

30.82
28.44

29.05
25.05

25.88
22.18

22.97
19.15 16.32

This image was shot wide open at f/1.4, and the Sigma fp L 38.01 39.81 35.08 32.23 29.24 29.06 23.51 20.50 17.19

because it preserves highlight detail.

SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO (DECIBELS)
Sony A7R IV 44.40 41.26 37.04 32.69 29.01 25.44 22.26 19.61 18.39

rangefinder has focused the lens exactly at the

right point on the statue’s eyes
it’s your hands that should adapt to
the camera, not the other way round.
The rangefinder’s focus accuracy
proved exceptional, as did its ability Signal to noise ratio (decibels)
60
to clearly differentiate planes of focus
even in relatively distant objects with 50

a wide-angle lens. The focus scale on 40

Performance our lens was also spot on, with a hard 1
30
The images captured by the M11 stop at the infinity marker.
are rich, dense and very sharp; The advantage of a manual focus 20

however, it’s possible that this latest lens like this is a much longer focus 10
60MP sensor is finally revealing the travel with a much more accurate
0
limitations of Leica’s M lenses. While focus distance scale and depth of 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 12800 25600

our Summilux 28mm proved field markings that make hyperfocal Leica M11
Sony A7R IV
Leica M10-R Sigma fp L

super-sharp, it started to lose just a and zone focusing straightforward.

little definition at the edges, and Rod Lawton Leica’s recent M-series’ images show almost
showed some corner shading and the same amount of noise as those from the
M10-R. The Sony A7R IV’s images are less noisy
chromatic aberration too. at lower sensitivities.

VERDIC T
Dynamic range (EV)

ISO 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 12800 25600

Leica M11 12.38 12.35 12.51 12.26 11.90 10.56 9.89 9.28 8.51

Leica M10-R 12.29 12.35 12.36 12.35 11.95 10.45 9.67

Sigma fp L 12.25 12.56 12.43 12.48 12.30 11.19 9.91 9.26 8.45

DYNAMIC RANGE (EV)

Sony A7R IV 11.27 10.70 10.54 10.00 9.94 9.59 8.36 7.53 6.98

Leica M rangefinders take some

learning. First-timers will struggle Dynamic range (EV)
SENSOR: 60.3MP FULL-FRAME CMOS with the viewfinder, focusing and 14

IMAGE PROCESSOR: MAESTRO III AF the stripped- down features, but the 12

POINTS: N/A ISO RANGE: 64 TO 50,000 longer you use these cameras, the 10

MAX IMAGE SIZE: 9,528 X 6,328 METERING more they grow on you. The M11 is a 8

MODES: SPOT, CENTER-WEIGHTED, real class act that can capture very 6 1

MULTI-FIELD VIDEO: N/A VIEWFINDER: sharp images that also have that
4
DIRECT VISION RANGEFINDER TYPE, 0.73X distinct Leica ‘look’ – and this is one
2
MAGNIFICATION, PARALLAX COMPENSATION camera where ‘features’ and ‘value’
0
MEMORY CARDS: SD/SDHC/SDXC, UHS-II hardly enter the equation. 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 12800 25600
Leica M11 Leica M10-R Sigma fp L
LCD: 2.95-INCH FIXED TOUCHSCREEN, 2.33M Sony A7R IV
DOTS MAX BURST: 4.5FPS CONNECTIVITY: The M11 can capture a high amount of dynamic
WI-FI, BLUETOOTH SIZE: 139 X 39 X 80MM range; it’s almost inseparable from both the
WEIGHT: 530G (BATTERY) M10-R and Sigma fp L throughout this test.
 C R E D I T S

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Advertising Sales Manager Senior Art Editor
Mike Pyatt Production Editor Warren Brown
michael.pyatt@futurenet.com Mike McNally
SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Account Sales Director Senior Reviews Editor Chief Content Officer
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matt.bailey@futurenet.com
Lab Manager Brand Director
MARKETING Ben Andrews Matt Pierce
Head of Acquisitions
Helen Harding REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Head of Art & Design
Mike Harris, Marcus Hawkins, Rodney Dive
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