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GET OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Like the shots it lets you take, the Lumix GF2 is a break from the ordinary. It does
everything conventional cameras can, but in a smaller, more compact body so you
can capture inspiration anywhere with ease. For photographers who like to look at
the world differently, it completely redenes whats possible.
Will Cooper-Mitchell uses the Panasonic Lumix GF2. D-SLR performance and
interchangeable lenses in a more compact body.
See more pictures taken by Will on the GF2 at panasonic.co.uk/acityexposed
Will Cooper-Mitchell
Photographer
WWW. PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [3]
WELCOME
MAY 2011 | ISSUE 121
FROMTHE EDITOR
EDITORS IMAGE | MATT HALSTEAD
THIS IMAGE | BRYAN ALEXANDER
COVER IMAGE | MARK GILLIGAN
SOME PHOTOGRAPHERS HAVE A FAVOURITE PART OF THE DAY IN WHICH TO SHOOT, OTHERS ARE
HAPPY TO CAPTURE IMAGES, NO MATTER WHAT THE TIME OR THE CONDITIONS THEY FIND
THEMSELVES IN. Whichever of these categories applies to you, there is no doubt that the ability to be able
to handle any situation you might encounter is a vital component in becoming as good a photographer as you
want to be.
This month we have devoted the majority of the magazine to covering the challenges we all face with our
cameras morning, noon and night. As always we have turned to the best photographers in their fields
worldwide to provide the advice you need to have the self-assurance to succeed, no matter what the
circumstances. We all like to be confident in what we are doing and I hope this issue makes you determined
to take risks, experiment and enjoy your photography even more than you do now.
Regular readers will I am sure have noticed that this month we have changed the way the magazine is bound. There was a time,
when I first started out in publishing more than 25 years ago, that staple bound was a cheaper solution for magazines than the now
more prevalent perfect bound. However, times change and this is no longer the case. Our decision to change to the new format was
a photographic one; we wanted to let the amazing images we feature every month really sing across two pages without the bend in
the middle which magazine people call the gutter. So no more pictures in the gutter that has to be a good thing!
Grant Scott
Editor, Photography Monthly
PM
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[4] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
CONTENTS
PHOTO MONTH
9-13 ESSENTIAL NEWS FROM THE WORLD
OF PHOTOGRAPHY, INCLUDING:
The latest book of images from Steve McCurry,
the 2011 Sony World Photography Awards,
Tokinas new lens for full frame sensors and
a collection of work by influential American
photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
26-45 SHOOTING IN THE MORNING
We bring you the best tips and techniques to
help you get the most from photographing
in the early-morning light, wherever you are.
49-59 SHOOTING IN THE DAY
Follow the advice of some of the worlds best
photographers as they show you how to take
advantage of the sun to shoot all subjects.
60-75 SHOOTING AT NIGHT
Shooting in the dark can be rewarding and fun.
Find out how to use the night sky and extra
lighting to make inspiring and exciting images.
84 LARGE-CAPACITY
BACKPACKS
Photographers who need to go
further for longer to make the
images they seek have to carry a
lot of equipment, so Jessica Lamb
takes a look at the biggest and best
backpacks on the market.
24 HOURS
SHOOTING
SPECIAL
GO
ONLINE
For great photographer
interviews visit
www.photography
monthly.com
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CONTENTS
READERS
GALLERY
Every month we feature the best of
our readers pictures that have been
posted in our online gallery
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REGULARS
3 WELCOME
Monthly news from the Editor.
7FRIENDS
Those who have helped us to put this
months issue together.
46 SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscribe to Photography Monthly and
get the magazine for half-price.
TEST ZONE
92 PREMIUM COMPACT
CAMERA ROUND-UP
Kelly Weech brings you the best
high-end compact cameras available
online for less than 300.
98 FUJIFILM FINEPIX
X100 RANGEFINDER
The new digital rangefinder from
Fujifilmis a thing of beauty. PM Editor
Grant Scott took one for a test drive to
find out if it could also take great images.
WIN STUFF ON PAGES 23, 79, 88
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Modern
Technology
Classic
D
esign
Inspired by the beauty and form of classic cameras from the
past, the FinePix X100 combines all the latest technical digital
innovations in a beautiful, traditional chassis which oozes
class and prestige.
T e Pofessionals Choice
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Cass Chapman
Journalist
Regular contributor Cass travels
around the world in the course of
her work, writing for a number of
publications, including our sister
title, Professional Photographer.
In this issue, as part of our
24 Hours of Shooting special, she
speaks to some of the worlds best
photographers to find out about
their work. For great images and
inspiration turn to page 25.
Rachael DCruze
Journalist
Rachael is also a regular contributor
to the magazine. She is based
in the South West of England where
she works as a journalist and
photographer. She contributes
regularly to publications ranging
from The Guardian to Total Guitar
magazine and is the second writer
this month to help in our 24 Hours
of Shooting special. Find out what
she learned on page 25.
Kelly Weech
Features assistant
Kelly loves nothing more than to
put into practice the advice we give
in the magazine. As a wedding
photographer she is always looking
for ideas and ways to help develop
her photography. This month
Kelly was interested in investing
in a high-end compact camera.
Its a Steal, her roundup of the
best premium models available for
less than 300, is on page 92.
Jessica Lamb
Editorial assistant
Passionate about photography,
Jessica brings a fresh take on the
image-making world to the
magazine. As the guardian of our
website and Facebook pages, she
keeps you up-to-date with the
latest news and releases, and this
month looks at large-capacity
backpacks to help you stay out for
longer. Turn to page 84 for
Everything but the Kitchen Sink.
Archant Specialist. Archant Specialist is part of Archant Ltd.
I While reasonable care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in Photography Monthly, that information is obtained froma variety of sources and neither the publisher,
the printers nor any distributor is responsible for errors or omissions. All prices and data are accepted by us in good faith as being correct at the time of going to press.
Pound conversion rates correct at the time of going to press. Advertisements are accepted for publication in Photography Monthly only upon Archant Specialists standard Terms
of Acceptance of Advertising, copies of which are available fromthe advertising department. All advertisements of which the content is in whole or in part the work of
Archant Specialist remain the copyright of Archant Specialist. Reproduction in whole or in part of any matter appearing in Photography Monthly is forbidden except by express
permission of the publisher.
Competition terms and conditions: I The closing date for competitions/giveaways is displayed alongside the competition/giveaway online. I Employees of Archant Specialist, and those
professionally connected with the competition/giveaway, for example, employees of the sponsor company, are not eligible to enter. I Unless otherwise stated, competitions/giveaways
are only open to UKresidents. I Prizes are as described and no alternatives can be given. I The editors decision is nal and no correspondence will be entered into. I Archant
Specialist may wish to contact you in the future, or pass your details to selected third parties, to introduce new products and services to you. If you are sending your entry by text and
do not wish to be contacted, please add the word NO to the end of your text message. If you are sending your entry by post, please tick the appropriate boxes on the entry form.
Photography Monthly is published by Archant Specialist, Archant House, Oriel Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1BB www.photographymonthly.com
ABC certied circulation
(Jan-Dec 2010): 17,324
www.photographymonthly.com | pm@photographymonthly.co.uk | 01242 211096
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FEATURES ASSISTANT Kelly Weech
kelly.weech@archant.co.uk
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jessica Lamb
jessica.lamb@archant.co.uk
SPECIAL THANKS Rebecca Shaw,
Karen le Gallez and Mandy Pellatt
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For more information: T +44 01293 583300 F +44 01293 583301 E info@manfrottodistribution.co.uk
manfrotto.co.uk
D-profile tubing gives unparalleled torsional resistance.
Lighter, stronger 100% pull-wound carbon fiber.
Magnesium die castings for a further weight reduction to only 1.34kg (3lb).
Created, designed and engineered in Italy. Continuously improved since the year 2000.
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PHOTOMONTH
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IMAGES OFTHE SEVENTH DAY / Immagini del Settimo
Giorno 19742009, edited by Sandro Parmiggiani, is a
captivating collection of work by professional landscape
photographer Michael Kenna, who is known the world over
for his haunting and atmospheric landscape work.
This book features images taken over more than 30
years. Kennas use of long exposures and Hasselblad film
cameras has imbued his work with a sensibility that is
eternal and enthrals viewers by revealing secrets often
concealed to the naked eye.
The 290 black-and-white photographs in the book span
Kennas career, fromearly work shot in England in the
1970s to images he has created in his unique way from
travelling and commissions. Kennas work has been
featured in more than 30 books and catalogues, and is
included in permanent museumcollections in the National
Gallery, Washington DC, Shanghai Art Museumand Victoria
& Albert Museum, London.
Michael Kenna: Images of the Seventh Day / Immagini del
Settimo Giorno 19742009, edited by Sandro Parmiggiani,
is available in hardback through Italian publisher Skira
Editore and distributed by Thames & Hudson, priced 34.95.
ISBN 978-88-572-0688-2
www.skira.net
PM
All you need to knowfromthe world of photography
For more on
Michael Kenna and his
work, turn to the
September 2010 issue of
the magazine or go to
www.photography
monthly.com
THE MASTERATWORK
Eiffel Tower, Study 3,
Paris, 1987.
PM_MAY_PHOTMONTHCOVER:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:09 Page 9
[10] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
World Press Photo has published the
finalists of its first Multimedia Contest.
With the aim of showcasing the best
multimedia storytelling in visual
journalism, the international jury has
selected a total of six productions for the
short list. The winners will be announced
during the World Press Photo Awards
Ceremony on 7May 2011. For more
information about the short-listed
productions visit the World Press Photo
website at www.worldpressphoto.org
THE MOVING IMAGE
RECORDED
Monks praying at Golden Rock, Kyaikto, Burm S
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A new pocket-sized monograph featuring
55 striking images by renowned
photojournalist Steve McCurry is
now available. This striking collection
of images captures his documentary
work at its best. The collection spans
his entire career, including all of his
most famous photographs, such as the
green-eyed Afghan girl, the temples of
Angkor in Cambodia and the Buddhist
monasteries of Tibet. The images are
accompanied by introductory essays and
picture-by-picture commentaries,
offering a comprehensive overview of
Steves work. The book is priced 7.95
from www.phaidon.com
STEVE MCCURRY IN
YOUR POCKET
Flower seller, Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir, 1996.
Iggy Pop by Robert Mapplethorpe as
featured in a new book on the influential
American photographer. Mapplethorpe X7
is published by teNeues priced 50.
ISBN 978-3-8327-9473-6
www.teneues.com
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Targeting the extreme photographer or just
slightly clumsy, Fujifilm has launched a new
water, shock, dust and freeze-proof camera
featuring built-in GPS. Designed to survive
even the most boisterous activity, the
Fujifilm FinePix XP30 is freeze proof to
minus 10C, waterproof to five metres,
shockproof to 1.5m and also sand and
dustproof. On the inside the Fujifilm XP30
features an impressive 5x, wide-angle, zoom
lens, 14-megapixel resolution and a broad
FUJIFILM XP30 RELEASED
selection of image
functions.
It also offers HD
movie capture of
720p at 30fps.
The XP30 is available
in five fun colours
black, silver, orange,
blue and green and
is available for around 199.
www.fujifilm.co.uk
Powering a Nation by Mike Ehrlich, Jessey Dearing, Lauren
Frohne and Elena Rue and produced by Laura Ruel, Chad
Stevens and Don Wittekind.
PM_MAY_PHOTOMONTH:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:07 Page 10
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PHOTOMONTH
SKINS
The winners of the open category of
the 2011 Sony World Photography
Awards have been announced.
With more than 51,000 submissions
from 148 countries, the open
category was a single-image
competition, open to all amateur
photographers of any age or level of
experience. The calibre and quality of
the open competition was superb this
o, Burma, 1994.
2011 SONY WORLD
PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
camera yourself with five blank pre-cut
paper foils to which you can apply your
own designs. The RS1500 is available
priced 89.99 from www.pentax.co.uk.
For more inspiration or to download
some of the ready-made skins visit
www.pentax.co.uk/chameleon
You can customise
the outside of the
new Pentax Optio
RS1500 compact
camera again and
again with your
favourite images.
Ideal for the
style-conscious
photographer, the
RS1500 comes complete with
a protective layer. Inside it features a
4x wide-angle zoom, 14-megapixel CCD
sensor, 3in LCD display and HD video
recording (1,280 x 720p at 30fps) with
advanced movie shake reduction mode
which automatically compensates for blur
due to movement. It also has a number of
auto options such as face priority, smile
detection and natural skin. The Optio
RS1500 comes with 10 ready-made front
skins, but you can also customise the
GO
ONLINE
We update the website
daily to bring you news
as it happens
www.photography
monthly.com
GOOD NEWS FOR
SONY USERS
The acclaimed Nissin Di866 Professional
Speedlite is now available in a Sony fit.
Initially launched in September 2009
with a Canon or Nikon fit, the Di866
features a guide
number of 60
(ISO 100/m at
105mm) and is
specifically
designed for use
with DSLR
cameras. It can
also be fired
wirelessly so it
can be used as a
master or receiver flash, features
high-speed synchronisation and offers a
fill-in sub flash 12 (100 ISO/m), which is
activated while the main flash is bounced.
It includes a built-in wide-angle diffuser
and catch-light reflector. www.kenro.co.uk
year and often equalled that of the
professional category, said competition
judge Astrid Merget, creative director of
the World Photography Organisation.
It just goes to show that one can present
stunning imagery within a single
photograph, just as brilliantly as within a
full body of work. We particularly liked the
travel image entitled Going To Work by
James Chong from Singapore for his use
of composition and the way in which he
captured the beautiful light through the
trees. The coveted LIris DOr / Sony
World Photography Awards
Photographer of the Year will be
announced on 27April at a gala
ceremony held at the Odeon, Leicester
Square in London. To view the
shortlisted and finalist images for both
categories visit www.worldphoto.org
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[12] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
SOFT ON THE OUTSIDE
The new Hotrod Octa softbox is the
ideal accessory for strobists looking
to create a soft and even light for
portraits. The Octa is available in two
sizes 70cm and 90cm and features
an inner diffusion panel and adaptor
plate with rods which support the
weight of the softbox for added
stability. The Hotrod Octa softbox,
priced 150 (70cm) and 168 (90cm),
is available from www.lastolite.com
Congratulations to David Donaldson for
his image Burning the Heather which is the
winner of our April Readers Challenge.
W
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READERS
CHALLENGE
The Queen Victoria cruise liner
docked against the Liverpool skyline.
The new Tokina AT-X 16-28mm f/2.8
PRO FX is the first in a new generation
of lenses designed for professional
digital SLR cameras with full-frame
(FX) image sensors. Ideal for
landscape or architectural
photography, the PRO FX offers a
super-wide-angle view and features a
newly-developed silent DC motor that
allows the lens to focus faster and
more quietly. Fitted with a new GMR
magnetic AFsensor, the lens offers an
increased AFspeed and has three SD
super-low dispersion glass elements
throughout its optical design. It also
features Tokinas exclusive one-touch
focus clutch mechanism which allows
the photographer to switch between
AFand MFsimply by snapping the
focus ring forward for auto focus and
back toward the camera for manual
focus. The PRO FX is available with
either Canon or Nikon fit and is on sale
now with an RRP of 1,072.
www.kenro.co.uk
ALL IN THE FRAME
Based on the true-life experiences of four
combat photographers, Greg Marinovich,
Joo Silva, Kevin Carter and Ken
Oosterbroek, The Bang Bang Club tells
the story of how they documented the
ending of apartheid in South Africa
during the early 1990s. Published as a
book by Marinovich and Silva in 2000,
we hear the story is now a film which is
currently being screened in selected
theatres across America. Bonded by
friendship and their sense of purpose to
tell the truth, these brave photographers
risked their lives to tell the world of the
brutality and violence associated with the
first free elections in post-apartheid
South Africa. We can only hope this film,
starring Ryan Phillippe, Malin Akerman
and Taylor Kitsch, makes its way to the
UK soon. www.thebangbangclub.com
THE BANG BANG CLUB
Three Merseyside-based photographers have set
up an international appeal called The Print Aid
Project to help victims of the Tohoku earthquake
and tsunami in Japan. Renowned photographers
and designers from around the world have
donated images to be sold at the projects
website to raise money for the International Red
Cross. One of the projects co-founders, Dan King,
said: Not everyone can afford to bid huge sums
of money in a charity auction, so we felt it was
important to have two strands to the project and
offer special-rate prints as well. We hope that
these will be really popular and raise a lot of
money for this important cause. For further
details of the photographers involved and prints
available visit www.theprintaidproject.com
IMAGES DONATED TO
TOHOKU EARTHQUAKE
APPEAL
The Hotrod Octa softbox.
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PHOTOMONTH
Underwater housing manufacturer
AquaTech has released a new line
of sound-reducing cases for
professional DSLRs. Know as
sound blimps, they eliminate the
noise produced by a cameras
shutter release, making them
perfect for quiet photography in
settings such as movie sets and theatres
or for sensitive wildlife photography.
However, they are not waterproof.
The camera is held in place inside the case
by custom-cut sound-dampening foam
which is so effective that the US company
claims a 98% reduction in noise.
The housing is made from polyurethane
and the controls from stainless steel,
hard-anodised aluminium and
high-strength plastic. There are six
QUIET AS A MOUSE
models available to fit a variety of Canon
and Nikon cameras. All feature a tripod
mount, single quick-release clip with safety
latch and two-stage shutter release.
A variety of lenses may be used with
AquaTechs range of interchangeable front
lens port systems which can be purchased
separately. www.aquatech.net
WORLDS OLDEST
PHOTOGRAPHY
EXHIBITION OPENS
Now in its 149th year, the Edinburgh
Photographic Society International
Exhibition of Photography is open for
entries. A panel of distinguished
photographers will select approximately
200 entries from across the world for
display at the exhibition during this years
Edinburgh International Festival Fringe.
The closing date for entries is 17June 2011.
Entry forms and rules are available on
the societys website at:
www.edinburghphotographicsociety.co.uk
For daily updates on news and all the releases
from the world of photography vist the website
at www.photographymonthly.com
PM_MAY_PHOTOMONTH:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:08 Page 13
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Dennis Keene
Angles
Nikon D3000
Nikkor 35mm
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It has been a while since a graphic
architectural composition such as this
has caught my eye. But Dennis has got
everything right here to make him a
worthy winner. His use of perspective,
reflection, highlight and shadow
detail really made his image stand out
on our website.
Grant Scott, Editor
IMAGE OF THE MONTH
GALLERY
Upload your images to www.photographymonthly.com, we choose the best and publish them the following month. Simple!
YOUR IMAGES
PM_MAY_GALLERY:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:10 Page 15
Tim Tapley
Shy flamingo
Canon EOS 7D
Canon 100-200mm
Georgia Wiggs
Drown
Olympus C-5000Z
Epoque wide-angle wet lens
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READERS GALLERY
Luke Musharbash
Corn in the wind
Nikon D200
Sigma 105mm Macro
Hajar Elouarrat
Taste of happiness
Canon EOS 350D
Canon 50mm
Pete Zelewski
Shelter from the storm
Canon EOS 5D MkII
Canon 50mm
Benjamin Li
Little lantern
Nikon D3000
Nikkor 50mm
PM_MAY_GALLERY:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:12 Page 17
[18] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
Adrian Core
Freathy at dawn
Canon EOS 7D
Sigma 10-20mm
Sarah Ellington
The mist
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20
Tim Tapley
Corn bunting
Canon EOS 7D
Canon 100-200mm
PM_MAY_GALLERY:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:12 Page 18
READERS GALLERY
WWW. PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [19]
Paul Allen
Low landing
Canon EOS 7D
Canon 18-135mm
Scott Edwards
The wild geese
Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro
Nikkor 70-300mm
Adrian Biggs
Tulip
Nikon D300
Nikkor 105mm
VR Macro
Karl Shaw
Hell in a helmet
Nikon D3s
Tamron 70-200mm
Lucie Averill
Whatever the weather II
Canon EOS 7D
Canon 17-55mm
Robert Ho
Men at work
Nikon D70
Nikkor 18-70mm
PM_MAY_GALLERY:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:13 Page 19
[20] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
Philip Cozzolino
Paris reflections
Nikon D80
Nikkor 50mm
Cass Castagnoli
A Victorian journey
Canon EOS400D
Sigma 10-20mm
PM_MAY_GALLERY:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:14 Page 20
WWW. PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [21]
READERS GALLERY
Muda Wirmar
Ride the wind
Canon EOS 60D
Tamron 18-200mm
Robin Johnston
Boba takes pics
Nikon Coolpix L2
Bev Duggan
Car window
Canon Digital IXUS 860 IS
Darren Mooney
Drop
Canon EOS-1Ds Mk1
Canon 50mm
PM_MAY_GALLERY:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:14 Page 21
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READERS GALLERY
Yaman Ibrahim
Hot-air balloon
Nikon D7000
Nikkor 70-200mm
Leila Murseljevic
(g)Host
Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Andy Taylor
Crane
Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro
Sigma 70-300mm
PM_MAY_GALLERY:Layout 1 06/04/2011 14:18 Page 23
: : w w w . f o c a l p r e s s . c o m : :
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PHOTO ZONE
THE TIME OF DAY OR THE TIME OF YEAR SHOULD NOT STOP YOU FROM
BECOMING THE PHOTOGRAPHER YOU WANT TO BE. CREATIVE INSPIRATION CAN
COME AT ANY TIME, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE GATHERED TOGETHER
SOME OF THE WORLDS BEST PHOTOGRAPHERS TO SHOWYOU HOWTO BREAK
THE RULES, HOWTO WORK WITH LIGHT AND HOWTO EMBRACE
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INTERVIEWS BY RACHAEL DCRUZE, CASS CHAPMAN AND SEAN SAMUELS
24 hours of shooting
+00 0 +00
WHEN SHOOTING
DIGITAL, I LIKE TO
SHOOT EVERYTHING
AS FLAT AND
UNSHARPENEDWITH
LOW CONTRAST SO I
CAN PRESERVE ALL THE
INFORMATION
.
PM_MAY_24 Hours of Shooting_MORNING:Layout 1 05/04/2011 09:56 Page 42
WWW. PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [43]
C
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Brooklyn, New York, has been home for Joseph O.
Holmes since 1984. After learning how to develop
photographs from his father, he spent the first 20
years of his career shooting with black-and-white
film. Having focused on street photography
and urban subjects, Holmes has been awarded,
among other accolades, first prize in the
MPLS Photo Centers 2010 Portraits Exhibition
in Minneapolis, USA.
http://streetnine.com
BIOGRAPHY JOSEPH O. HOLMES
24 hours of shooting Joseph O. Holmes
DEVELOP THE DETAILS
When shooting digital, I like to shoot
everything as flat and unsharpened with
low contrast so I can preserve all the
information. I find that every image needs
to have the contrast pumped up and
maybe brightened a little in
post-production. If there were lots of
footprints I bumped up the brightness or
contrast so they disappeared.
MASTER THE
ZONE SYSTEM
The Zone System is a technique for determining
optimal exposure and maximising the final tonal
range of your formulated image. It is an 11-step
gradation of reality, from pure black to pure white,
and each step equates to one full f-stop. Seeing in
black-and-white allows you to see how much of a scene
is recordable. It also allows you to understand failure
in exposures from blown-out highlights, too many
midtones or too many shadows if these are not
wanted. Most importantly, however, if you
use zoning you can interpret the
scene as you want and deliver
your own unique creative
rendition.
MORNING
PM_MAY_24 Hours of Shooting_MORNING:Layout 1 05/04/2011 09:57 Page 43
[44] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
GET UP EARLY
To make the most of the morning light,
you need to be at your location before the
sun comes up. I often get up at4am, so I
wake somewhat automatically now,
although I do sometimes use an alarm
dont forget to set yours.
CHOOSE WHEN TO
SHOOT
Mornings are all very different many of
them really arent very interesting, but
some are magical so it pays to choose
carefully when you go out, as you cant go
out before sunrise every morning. I get up,
look out of the window and decide, from
what I can see, if its a good morning for
photography. If theres dew on my window
I know there will be dew on the grass
something I particularly like so I go out.
WORK WITH THE
ENVIRONMENT
My preference is for cold, still mornings
the stillness is important as I favour
macro photography and like using long
exposures. If youre out on still mornings
make the most of the mirror-like
reflections on lakes and other water.
USE THE ELEMENTS
Look for misty mornings, when the sun
gradually breaks through and overcomes
mist and fog. The light on such mornings
often changes very fast make the most
of this landscape photos with a mixture
of sun and mist can be very interesting
visually. On misty mornings there will be
dew on the ground and the whole
landscape will be covered with
small droplets.
LOOK FOR
DETAILS
There are thousands of
opportunities for great macro
shots in the early morning you
just need to bend down and look at
flowers, leaves, straw, and spider webs.
If you have a macro lens and a tripod you
can just dive into the microcosmos
beneath your feet. Look out for insects
too, as early in the morning some can
appear frozen and make for great shots.
PLAYWITH THE LIGHT
The low morning sun provides great
opportunities for playing with the light.
Move around and try placing the sun
behind flowers and other subjects.
Sometimes the sun will appear big and red
because of dust in the atmosphere and
makes a great addition to your images.
MAKE THE MOST OF
YOUR TIME
I find being out really early to be
somewhat of a meditative experience and
I make the most of the peace and quiet.
When Im out early I dont come across
any other people, or dogs for that matter,
and can lie on the ground taking
photographs without people
watching me. I do sometimes
come across animals which
dont show themselves in the
day so keep quiet and you
might see some yourself.
STAYLOCAL
Find a couple of good locations
close-by that you can keep going to;
your life will be easier. If youre constantly
driving long distances youll need to get
up much earlier and will be disappointed if
the conditions turn out to be poor when
you arrive. If you find local spots to visit,
you can get into the habit of going before
work, so youll shoot more. I often go to
the same locations and always see new
things when I get there I treat my work
as a development.
BE FLEXIBLE
Of course I have visions of pictures I want
to shoot things I want to show, subjects
and compositions I want to find, but I also
stay flexible and see what each morning
brings. Be open-minded and photo
opportunities will present themselves to
you this can be very exciting, especially
in the macro world.
HOW TO USE THE WEATHER TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
M
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Magnar Brnes is44 years old and lives in
Bergen, on the west coast of Norway. He runs
his own company, through which he sells his
photography and does graphic design work.
Over the years he has gained considerable
recognition for his unique, impressionistic
approach to nature, which adds an abstract
feel to his photographs.
www.magnarbornes.com
BIOGRAPHY MAGNAR BRNES
Little boat. This was taken on an October
morning near Bergen. I was travelling
along the fjord enjoying the calm and
mist of morning and as the sun was
about to break through, I spotted this
single fisherman rowing his boat.
GO
ONLINE
To see more macro
photos in our gallery
www.photography
monthly.com
PM_MAY_24 Hours of Shooting_MORNING:Layout 1 05/04/2011 09:58 Page 44
MORNING
24 hours of shooting Magnar Bornes
3
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24 hours of shooting Gavin Gough
G
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Bangkok-based travel photographer Gavin Gough
shoots for publications around the world and also
teaches photography classes in Thailand. He took
a year off work in the UK to travel the world and
build a portfolio. Feeling unable to return to an
office job, he took the plunge shortly afterwards
to become a full-time photographer.
www.gavingough.com
BIOGRAPHY GAVIN GOUGH
WWW. PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [49]
DAY
A Buddhist monk sits beside a temple window during
the Phi Ta Khon (Ghosts in Masks) festival in Dansai,
Thailand. Shot with a Canon EOS-1Ds MkII, Canon EF
85mm L f/1.2 lens 1/100sec at f/1.2, ISO 50 (-1.3EV).
HOWTO SHOOT
CONTRASTS
WORK WITH SHADOWS
My portrait of a Buddhist monk by a
window was shot in Thailand during the
annual Ghosts in Masks festival which I
was commissioned to shoot for the
Lonely Planet travel guides. In the town
where this festival takes place is a small
temple, and inside I found a group of
monks who werent allowed to go out and
join the festivities. It was late afternoon
but the light was striking because it was
coming only from outside, resulting in a
strong, contrasting side lighting.
PM_MAY_24 Hours of Shooting_DAY:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:09 Page 49
[50] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
Walking through the square beside
the Koutoubia Mosque in
Marrakech, Morocco. Shot with a
Canon EOS-1Ds MkII, Canon EF
24-70mm L f/2.8 at43mm
1/320sec at f/8, ISO 100.
Amankila Resort, Manggis, Bali,
Indonesia. Shot with a Canon EOS 5D
MkII, Canon EF 24-70mm L f/2.8 at
48mm 1/3,200sec at f/2.8, ISO 100.
KNOWWHAT YOU
WANT
This swimming pool shot was done for
Vanity Fair magazines annual travel
supplement and taken on Bali, at the
Amankila Resort in Manggis. I shot this
image at breakfast time on a Canon EOS
5D MkII and Canon EF 24-70mm L lens.
The objective was to obtain simple
compositions and a symmetrical,
balanced image; not the kind of shot I
would take often, but the sort of shot,
I felt, people would pick up on.
BE PATIENT
In the centre of Marrakech, Morocco, is
the big minaret of the Koutoubia
Mosque. Nearby sits a bright orange
wall that inspired me to use it as a
backdrop. I made a point of going there
in the late afternoon, sitting and
waiting for the right group of people to
walk past at the right time. I played
around with the composition a lot
before obtaining this shot,
accumulating more than 30 photos
before capturing this one. I was
particularly interested in the cultural
reference of this shot with the
husband and wife, because the wife is
walking two steps behind the husband,
which is so often the case there.
WATCH THE LIGHT
I am not a photographer who likes to
use a tripod, so to set up I perched on
a fountain wall and waited while
getting the exposure right. I switched
to manual and kept a close eye on
the light as it was dropping. The light
and its effect on the wall colour
was the greatest challenge because
colour temperature changes
throughout the day. At midday, the
light is very blue. This shot was
taken just before dusk, so the orange
colour was enhanced by the
golden-coloured temperature of the
sun. This was shot with a Canon G
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EOS-1Ds MkII and Canon EF 24-70mm L
lens at f/2.8 and43mm.
USE A SPOT METER
My biggest piece of advice is that you
should learn to use spot metering.
Being able to spot meter off someones
face or the part of the picture you
want exposed correctly will produce
the outcome you want.
MASTERING
SHADOW
In many ways shadows are photography
and should be embraced rather than avoided or
eliminated. Consider shadow as the element that
makes the subject stand out in an image rather
than detract from it. In doing so you will seek out
shadow and be better prepared to work with it.
Shadow allows you to see three-dimensional forms
in entirely new ways and will set the value and
tones of your images. Light and shadow go
together; without one you could not have
the other. When shadow is used with
light, images start to
come alive.
PM_MAY_24 Hours of Shooting_DAY:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:10 Page 50
24 hours of shooting
DAY
24 hours of shooting Gavin Gough
WWW. PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [51]
I MADE A POINT OF GOING THERE INTHE
LATE AFTERNOON, SITTING AND WAITING
FOR THE RIGHT GROUP OF PEOPLE TO WALK
PAST AT THE RIGHT TIME.
ALWAYS
UNDEREXPOSE
I underexposed the shot of the Buddhist
monk to enhance the contrasts,
otherwise the result would have been
bright highlights on peoples foreheads,
noses and cheekbones. The shadowy side
of the monks face and his robes have
almost gone to black, so if highlights
arent exposed in this sort of shot the
result is lots of details in the shadows
but the highlights getting blown out
beyond the latitude of what the camera
can cope with. I advise underexposing by
about a stop and a third.
PM_MAY_24 Hours of Shooting_DAY:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:11 Page 51
[52] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
BE FLEXIBLE
Many of my successful images shot at high
noon are a result of me being flexible.
For instance, if you have a shoot planned
for a more conventional time of the day
such as sunset and youre out doing
a recce or walking to your location at
high noon and you see an interesting
composition or subject, shoot it you can
always go back if it doesnt work.
Dont allow opportunities to pass you by
because the lighting isnt ideal.
USE A REFLECTOR
I always carry a foldable reflector in the
midday sun they are small, lightweight
and effective. I use mine not only to
bounce some light into shadows, but as a
portable shade to reduce the light when
shooting nature macros at this time of day.
BE OPEN-MINDED
You need to be positive, actively looking
around for subjects, shapes and shadows
which will work well with the harsh light.
There are also certain things which
happen only when you are out at this
time some flowers, for example, open
only in the afternoon.
USE A POLARISER
When shooting landscapes at high noon a
good trick is to compose so you just have
a slither of blue sky and then to use a
polariser filter. By doing this you can get
the most effective results from your
polariser which, with the sun overhead,
will darken all around the horizon and the
edges of your frame.
HOW TO SHOOT IN
THE MIDDAY SUN
THINK COLOUR
AND TEXTURE
At high noon the harsh light can make
textures disappear, but colours will be
bright and saturated so look to make the
most of colour. That said, sometimes you
will find textures at high noon which
will be lost in shadows any later in the day.
Keep your mind and your eyes open.
Joe Decker is a nature photographer living in
northern California. His work has been exhibited
across the US, from the Los Angeles Center for
Digital Art to the Smithsonian in Washington.
www.rockslidephoto.com
BIOGRAPHY JOE DECKER
Joe Decker 24 hours of shooting
Lupin fields. This was taken in west Iceland.
In early or late-day light, many of these bushes
would be partially in shade, and so there
would be less of a sense of colour from the
field as a whole.
Poppy. I got this macro still-life shot of poppies
using a diffuser to deal with the shadows that
were cast from the Antelope Valley in California.
J
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WWW. PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [53]
DAY
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24 hours of shooting Jacky Parker
WORK WITH YOUR
SUBJECT
I shoot nearly all my work in my garden
and grow most of the flowers myself.
My garden is north-facing so I do have an
issue with light sometimes, but this just
forces me to improvise. To deal with this
problem, I tend to shoot with
diffused light. I never use a
flash, and try to shoot
subjects in diffused light
with bright sunshine in
the background. I have
some shrubs that are
bright and vibrant, so when
they are lit by the sunlight I
take them into the shade. This gives
images with a bright background and a
more diffused forefront.
FIND YOUR ROUTINE
Most of my shots are done in the morning
because of the north-facing light, but I
have developed a routine that works.
For example, I will bring my subjects
closer to the house (my garden is an acre
and a half) and use a clamp around the
Having received a camera from her husband when
she began a diploma in horticulture, Jacky Parker
quickly discovered a love for shooting flowers
and has been doing it ever since. In 2008 she was
named the Royal Horticultural Society
Photographer of the Year and was recently
nominated as a finalist in the International
Garden Photographer of the Year awards.
She lives in Iver, Buckinghamshire.
www.jackyparker.com
BIOGRAPHY JACKY PARKER
flowers to keep them in place. I very rarely
use a tripod, which means I can move
more easily in and out of the flowers.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT
LENS
My latest discovery is the
Lensbaby series of creative effect
lenses, including tilt-and-shifts,
which give a more painterly effect
to images of flowers. I particularly
like to shoot in diffused light with a
Lensbaby and light coming through trees,
as this combination gives good bokeh.
ADAPT TO YOUR
ENVIRONMENT
One issue I have to consider when
shooting is the wind. I try to screen off my
subjects where I can or take them into my
greenhouse, which doubles as a studio.
An additional challenge is keeping the
camera still when shooting with such a
wide aperture, so when it is called for I will
shoot with a tripod, although I dont like
doing this.
EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY
I do a lot of post-production with textures,
using layer masks as well as preset
actions that can be bought off the internet
to give the images a particular feel.
HOW TO WORK
WITH YOUR
ENVIRONMENT
GO
ONLINE
For more advice and
techniques from the pros
visit the website at
www.photography
monthly.com
From top: Queen Annes Lace (Daucus carota),
image taken in July 2009.
Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris), May 2009.
Montbretia (Crocosmia Lucifer), July 2009.
PM_MAY_24 Hours of Shooting_DAY:Layout 1 06/04/2011 15:07 Page 53
[54] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
M
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RESPECTTHE SUBJECT
I aim to take photographs that reflect the
captivating beauty of The Lakes and their
immediate terrain, which is striking but
also foreboding, almost menacing, in fact.
Normally images of The Lakes are taken
with a clear blue sky or white fluffy
Simpsons-style clouds. I dont shoot like
this, because I feel this hostile, but
magnificent landscape invites and warns
at the same time. Its that respect I strive
to achieve in my images.
TRAVEL LIGHT
I shoot with a Canon EOS 5D MkII,
17-40mm L series lens, a couple of grad
filters, tripod and cable release. This lens
has never let me down and I like the way it
allows me to capture cloudscapes. I always
travel light and usually carry a 24-105mm
L just in case I need to get that little bit
nearer, which is rare because I like a wide
aspect. I shoot RAW and sometimes use
filters; usually though I will underexpose
and then work the images in Lightroom.
I am also never afraid to shoot on a high
ISO as I feel that can accentuate the
atmosphere and enhance the picture,
giving it a true feel.
DONTBE AFRAID TO
EXPERIMENT
Great Gable is a fabled and inspiring fell.
It is an iconic sight, but done to death.
I was on Wastwater one evening and went
right down to the shoreside looking for
something unusual to shoot. It was a grey
evening, perfect for me and raining.
I walked around and took up a position by
entering the shallow water with Wellington
boots on, and found an angle that was new
to me. Normally I would use my 17-40mm
lens, but for this I used a 24-105mm on
maximum. The compression not only
pulled everything together, but also gave
a perspective I hadnt seen before. I added
a stopper filter and a soft grad. Not only
did this slow down the water, but it also
allowed the light to really show a pleasing
illumination just before the island.
BE PREPARED
The weather forecast for the Hardknott
shoot (far right, opposite page) was late
evening sunshine, but while I was
photographing, there was a howling gale
HOW TO SHOOT IN
ADVERSE WEATHER
CONDITIONS
and it was pouring down. Fortunately I had
my trusted carrier bag with me, which I
always attach to the central column of my
tripod and fill with locally sourced stones
to stabilise it if needs be. The skies never
really cleared, but gaps did appear, which
acted like magical torches on the fells.
I climbed up and waited for a couple of
hours before this effect finally stopped.
KNOWYOUR SUBJECT
When thinking about sunset or dusk
photography its important you
know where you are and what you are
trying to achieve. This may sound
obvious, but it is very important and
often overlooked. Local knowledge is
a vital component in preparation.
Normally I will have been to a location
many times before I take a picture.
WORK YOUR
LOCAL AREA
You dont have to travel far and wide to make
great landscape images. Consider what is
close to home and all around you. If you dont
have to travel very far you are more likely to
see the location in all weathers and in all light,
which means you can build a greater
understanding of the location and can
choose your shots. You might even
consider creating a series of images
of the same location.
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24 hours of shooting Mark Gilligan
DAY
Calm after the storm, mid-June.
Great Gable in cloud as the autumn rain begins
to pour on to Wastwater.
Dusk sunshine illuminates Great Gable in
midwinter; View from the top of Hardknott
towards Esk Buttress, Eskdale.
When you begin to understand an area
and how it behaves, you will see that the
light is never the same, so you should let
the light and its effect on the terrain
determine how you capture the
environment. If there is water involved,
then those reflections will become
an integral component and have to be
taken into consideration.
FIND THE NEWANGLE
I regularly walk around Wastwater in all
seasons, covering low and high vantage
points. On this January afternoon quite
literally as the last rays permeated
the clouds, only Great Gable was lit.
This lasted for just a few minutes before
it was gone. This is a very different
view of Great Gable with a hard and
clear winter light really defining this
magnificent fell. I changed from wide
angle to a 24-105mm L series lens and
placed it on full compression. I did not
use a grad filter for this shot, which is one
of my biggest-selling images.
USE THE LIGHT
Let the light help you to create a
successful image. Remember that at this
time of day, as with sunrise, the window of
opportunity can be as little as 20 minutes.
The time of year is also a major factor,
because the seasons produce peculiarities,
so be patient and never be afraid to
experiment. You can obtain some
fantastic, atmospheric images when the
weather is at its most inclement. Dont be
too ambitious. Photography is about
quality, not quantity. Prepare, take your
time and wait for that rush as the
landscape unfolds before you. Most of
all, enjoy this time of day, because it can
provide some great images.
Mark Gilligan is a wedding and landscape
photographer based in the Lake District.
He is a multi-award-winning member of the
British Institute of Professional Photography
as well as the Royal Photographic Society.
He has a base and a permanent exhibition in
Nether Wasdale, Cumbria.
www.wastwaterphotography.co.uk
BIOGRAPHY MARK GILLIGAN
REMEMBER LOCATIONS
I am always telling people that Wastwater
Lake is its own amphitheatre because it
plays its own dramas minute by minute.
I was shown this unusual location and kept
it in the memory bank for the perfect
day I had in mind to photograph it, which
is my image Calm after the storm.
I took only three pictures that day as the
clouds quickly closed on the opportunity
to shoot.
LET THE LIGHT HELP YOU
TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL
IMAGE. REMEMBER THAT AT
THIS TIME OF DAY, AS WITH
SUNRISE, THE WINDOW OF
OPPORTUNITY CAN BE AS
LITTLE AS 20 MINUTES.
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[56] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
HOW TO SHOOT IN
BRIGHT SUNLIGHT
LOOK FOR THE UNUSUAL
I am inspired every time I leave my front
door with my camera and the light is good.
There is a buzz in looking out for unusual
scenes from everyday life and then
showing the results to people who can
connect with the picture because they
recognise a scene from real life.
EXPERIMENT
The fact that you can have higher shutter
speeds in bright light means more
opportunities for capturing the moment.
It also means you can move the camera
around sharply and take instinctive
chances with framing and still get a shot
such as my shop picture (far right,
opposite page). Keeping your shadow out
of shots when the suns at your back can
be hard, but its something you learn to
look out for the more you shoot this way.
ITS NOTABOUTTHE KIT
I use a Canon EOS 5D camera and a 16-
35mm lens. Its basic stuff and not too
hard to use, which leaves me able to spend
virtually all my time looking for great
shots rather than wondering whether my
camera is set up correctly.
WORK WITH YOUR
SUBJECTS
I love working in bright sunlight because
other people, my subjects, are encouraged
to come out and enjoy themselves.
I find most peoples moods lift when the
sun is shining and I am also happier to
have the sun at my back with plenty of
places to explore.
BE PATIENT
I rarely have any problems taking these
images, apart from the difficulty of
locating the scene in the first place and S
T
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P
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N
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THE FACT THAT YOU CAN
HAVE HIGHER SHUTTER SPEEDS
IN BRIGHT LIGHT MEANS
MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
CAPTURINGTHE MOMENT.
Stephen McLaren is a London-based freelance
photographer whose clients include the Mayor of
Londons office, John Lewis, Phillips de Pury
auction house and Electronic Arts. He is also the
co-author with Sophie Howarth of the Thames &
Hudson book, Street Photography Now.
www.stephenmclaren.co.uk
BIOGRAPHY STEPHEN McLAREN
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24 hours of shooting Stephen McLaren
A-Z, London.
Shop!, Oxford Street, London.
Flume, Hove.
DAY
then being in the right spot to do it justice.
Thats hard and I miss dozens of shots a
day because I am not in the right place at
the right time. The key lesson is to be an
optimist and trust that if you miss
everything one day, then the next day
could be different.
MASTER
STREET
PHOTOGRAPHY
Know your camera inside out so you can react
quickly in any setting and walk with your finger
on the release. If you are focusing manually with
a prime lens, have your lens pre-focused for
certain distances. Dont be intimidated; most
people are happy to be photographed. Look
around you constantly. Be discreet;
looking beyond the subject after
shooting often helps. If you are
confronted simply smile and be
good-humoured.
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[58] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
USE THE LIGHTTO YOUR
ADVANTAGE
Often photographers are advised not to
photograph at midday because of the
steep angle of the sun, which produces
images without depth or, in the case of
people, unflattering shadows on faces.
However, this is not universal advice you
can use midday light to your advantage by
paying attention to the situation.
This light creates sharply defined
colour planes that can create
stunning images under the
right circumstances you
just need to look.
LOOK FOR
SHAPES
I call high noon shooting bright
light photography because of the
brightness you get in the areas that are
exposed to the direct sunlight and the
contrast that it creates. This is great for
architecture photography as I want to
bring out specific shapes that man-made
HOW TO USE
SHADOWS
Richard Stultz has exhibited his photographs in
solo and group exhibitions in the western United
States and his work has been published in Camera
Arts and Black & White magazines.
www.richardstultz.com
BIOGRAPHY RICHARD STULTZ
forms create and theres nothing like
bright light photography to do this.
When you think of it, if youre
photographing objects that have
primarily vertical planes, such as
architectural subjects, the sunlight at
midday creates the same sort of shadows
and has the same angle as sunlight in the
early morning or early evening on
objects that exist primarily in the
horizontal plane.
DONTWASTE
LIGHT
I discovered the advantages of
high noon photography and how to
use the sun to my advantage because
I didnt want to be sitting around doing
nothing during the middle of the day.
Over time I found subjects that were
suitable for this type of lighting.
Its crucial to analyse your subject and
visualise how your photograph is going to
look. If you visualise, shoot and analyse
the results, and then go back and
do it again, your images will improve.
UNDERSTAND THE SUN
Its very important to understand the
relationship of the angle of the sun from
two directions. The first is how high it is in
the sky and the second is how much it is
to the side is it shining directly on the
subject at 90, or is it shining at an angle
from the side? Successful photography
requires using these angles to your
advantage. If you dont have those angles
for example, if the sun is shining straight
on you wont have anything to work with.
BE PATIENT
Successful high noon photography is
about the light and how it affects your
subject, but its also about patience and
imagination. Sometimes you have to wait
until the sun has moved in the right
position and at other times youve arrived
too late and need to come back earlier
the next day. Just stick with it.
GO
ONLINE
For more advice and
techniques from the pros
visit the website at
www.photography
monthly.com
Richard Stultz 24 hours of shooting
Concert Hall, Los Angeles. This shot is really about
waiting for the sun to be in the best position. I had
seen this building a number of times but previously
the light had never been just right.
R
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D
S
T
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I CALL HIGH NOON
SHOOTING
BRIGHT LIGHT
PHOTOGRAPHY.
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FILL UP
A good breakfast is absolutely essential
for morning photography. You need to be
switched on and alert you wont be
without a good breakfast. The earliest Ive
ever had to get up for a shoot is 2am, to
photograph Sainsburys shelf-stackers
at 3am, and I still had breakfast before I
left home.
SHOOTFOR THE LIGHT
You get beautiful light in the morning
which isnt as orange as it is in the
afternoon, and lovely long shadows too.
However, there are going to be fewer
people around and therefore fewer
happenings to shoot, in terms of street
photography, so I tend to shoot for
the light in the mornings and for the
people later in the day. Obviously if I can
get both, that's ideal.
WATCH THE WEATHER
When the weather is good your photos will
follow suit sunny pictures have a special
Matt Stuart is a street photographer based in
London. He has been capturing accidental
moments for the past 11 years, shooting on both
film and digital. His clients include Tate Modern,
Tate Britain, furniture retailer MFI and the London
Symphony Orchestra.
www.mattstuart.com
BIOGRAPHY MATT STUART
quality. Professional photographers,
including myself, are led by the light, so if
they know theyre going to get good
weather theyll be champing at the bit to
get outside at 5.30am, so do make the
most of nice weather. That said, still
go out even when the weather isnt great,
you can still get interesting street shots
in the rain.
BE PREPARED
Make sure you take enough memory cards
and spare batteries so you can stay out
shooting all day if its going well
theres nothing worse than having to go
home because your card is full.
FOLLOWTHE SUN
It pays to know where the sun rises and
sets in your area. I live in London so I head
to the East End for sunrise and Marble
Arch in the West End for the sunset.
Photography is all about the light and you
have to go where its best.
KNOWWHATS ON
Mornings can be dramatically different in
the same place find out whats going on
so you can prepare and plan accordingly.
For example, on Monday mornings I
regularly photograph the weekly
deliveries people humping boxes around
and moving stuff. I also know that this is
the time when commuters generally tend
to look glum.
FIND A SPOT
In the morning, I find its best to get a
good spot, with a nice flow of people, stay
there and shoot. Set up your equipment,
get your exposure right and then wait
for people to walk into your frame.
Save the dashing about for the afternoon,
otherwise youll be knackered.
24 hours of shooting Matt Stuart
WWW. PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [59]
HOW TO SHOOT ON
THE STREETS
Trafalgar Square.
Aldersgate Street, London.
DAY
M
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S
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[60] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
NIGHT
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FIND A THEME
It is the mystery of shooting at night
that really appeals to me. I feel that
people are different at night, they are
more chilled out and the world seems
to go into a dreamlike state. Think about
an aspect of night you like or what
it says to you and try to show that in
your photographs.
HOW TO CREATE
ATMOSPHERE AT
NIGHT
Now living in New York City, but Scottish-born
and Australian-raised, McGhee has had his work
exhibited in galleries around the world,
including Australia, the UK, mainland Europe
and the USA. His clients include Sony, Microsoft,
Suzuki Motorcycles and Mitsubishi Motors.
www.tommcgheephoto.com
BIOGRAPHY TOM McGHEE
Tom McGhee 24 hours of shooting
MASTER
CITYSCAPES
AT NIGHT
During the day walk around the area you wish to
photograph and look for subjects that might make
good shots at night. Dont dismiss shooting in bad
weather; even the cloudiest of nights will have a lot to
offer. When shooting at night bright lights quickly get
overexposed; think about this when framing the shot.
There is no hard-and-fast rule about removing or
including them, but you can start to lose detail in
the surroundings if these are not controlled.
Consider using a tripod and a shutter release
or the countdown timer built into
your camera.
Stoop. I went on to the rooftop of my
New York apartment and looked down
at the street below and saw these
people outside their building,
escaping the overheated apartments.
Another classic NYC image of people
in the neighbourhood.
PM_MAY_24 Hours of Shooting_night:Layout 1 04/04/2011 17:14 Page 60
BOOK NOW ON 01834 887 562
Tom Servais: Born in Miami in 1953, Servais moved to California at the age of 20 to nd himself
and pursue surng. After taking several photography classes, he began his career as a photographer
with Surfer magazine. Fueled by the joy of turning his passion into a career, he travels the world in
pursuit of an endless summer.
Photo data: SIGMA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM,
1/1,000-second exposure at f/6.3.
O U R
W O R L D
TOM SERVAIS SHOOTS THE WORLD
WITH A SIGMA LENS.
A man hits the waves in the gentle rays of a setting California sun.
A versatile, high magnication zoom lens featuring Sigmas original Optical Stabiliser
function and Hyper Sonic Motor throughout its impressive zoom range.
Available for Sigma,
Canon, Nikon, Sony, and
Pentax cameras
Matched lens hood included.
www.sigma-imaging-uk.com E-mail: sales@sigma-imaging-uk.com
SIGMA 18-250 F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM
m
m
WWW. PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [63]
NIGHT
fellow photographer, just a willing friend.
Theyll be handy when it comes to taking
light readings and stopping passers-by
while you expose a shot; people usually
dont mind being stopped, just ask politely.
DO A RECCE
If possible visit your planned location
the night before your shoot its really
advantageous. This way you can judge
the amount of people traffic and find out
exactly what time day turns to night at
your location, as you usually only get a
small window of about 15 minutes of light
before it changes to
pitch-black.
UK photographers
have a unique
advantage in
summer, with the
late change from
day to night, so
take advantage of it.
GET THERE
EARLY
Get to your location at
least 30 minutes before you
plan to start shooting. Plan where you will
position your camera well before the light
is how you want it, so you are ready to
shoot when the perfect light materialises.
BRACKET EXPOSURES
Its not easy to judge your exposures at
night, therefore be sure to bracket so
you arent disappointed when you get
home. Use your histogram, rather
than your LCD screen which will be very
difficult to see clearly.
EXTRA GEAR
The night is a magical time, so make sure
you have extra memory cards and
spare batteries, so you dont
have to stop shooting if
something amazing is
presented to you.
Also take a light meter
and light strobe or
portable flash to capture
still images over a long
exposure. Youll also need
a torch so you can see
what youre doing in the
dark. Food and water are, of
course, essential, as are a warm
coat and gloves in the winter.
THINK FILM
A lot of my work is inspired by motion
films. At night the lighting is mostly
manmade and that has an effect on the
atmospheric quality of night
photography, especially when it has
recently rained or its a cold night with a
light mist or fog. This is why lots of edgy
films are shot on a street that has been
made wet to capture the wonderful
colourful reflections you get. I always
think of [Ridley Scotts sci-fi film] Blade
Runner when shooting New York at
night, as it is a surreal experience.
USE A TRIPOD
A sturdy tripod and cable release are
required for night photography, as you
are dealing with long exposures of
up to 15 seconds or more so it is hard
to handhold, even for seasoned
professional photographers.
PREPARE
Make sure youve planned your shoot
thoroughly before leaving home. This is
especially important at night as you
have a limited window of time and things
arent as easy as they are during the day
setting up your tripod or searching for
something in your bag, for example.
ASK A FRIEND
Take an extra person out shooting with
you, if you can they dont have to be a
BE READY
TO REACT
Although planning is a crucial
part of shooting at night, you
still need to be open to grabbing
your camera and taking shots
quickly, so if something
interesting happens
you can capture it.
24 hours of shooting Tom McGhee
T
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After the Deluge. When I took this
image, I think I was channelling a
great film maker that I have always
admired, Michael Mann. It reminds
me of a mix between his film
Collateral and Martin Scorseses
Taxi Driver.
PM_MAY_24 Hours of Shooting_night:Layout 1 06/04/2011 09:50 Page 63
A
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HOW TO LIGHT
PEOPLE AT NIGHT
GET TO KNOWTHE
LOCALS
These shots were taken in the Sahara.
One half of Western Sahara is controlled
by Morocco and one half by the Polisario
Front. I shot on both sides of the border
over a four-month period in 2009. I spent
time with the refugees in each area, got to
know their families, and developed a bond
of trust that often gained me access to
their lives.
LIGHT THE DARK
The man in the sand dune was a wedding
guest I met. The light behind the sand
dune is from a far-off town, but I used a
small LED video light to light his face.
These are small handheld lights with 50 or
60 LED bulbs. I value the fact they are
dimmable from 0%-100% and they are
portable. To light the woman in the tent,
I had someone holding the LED video light
beside her. When I held it myself, I used
Student Brahim Mohamed Fadin
pictured in sand dunes near Smara
refugee camp, Algeria, 2009.
After winning the Louis Valtuea Humanitarian
Photography Award, Andrew McConnell, who is
based in Nairobi, Kenya, travelled to Western
Sahara where these shots were taken. They have
been featured in the Financial Times and took a first
prize in the 2011 World Press Photo Awards.
www.andrewmcconnell.com
BIOGRAPHY ANDREW McCONNELL
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24 hours of shooting Andrew McConnell
NIGHT
WHAT IS
KELVIN?
Kelvin is the measured colour temperature
of light. The lower the kelvin value, the warmer
the colour; the higher the K value, the cooler the
colour. Taking control of this measurement when
making images allows you to better record what you see.
It also offers you a world of creative possibilities,
enabling you to give your images the atmosphere you
want. In essence you are adding filters at the point of
capture in the traditional sense. By using colour in
this way you can lift flat scenes and make them
abstract or you can simply accentuate what is
already there. Use this control to shoot in
conditions you would never have
considered before.
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[66] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
my other hand to set off the shutter for a
long exposure. I lit each subject for a
second and then switched the light off,
though the exposure ran on for 10-20
seconds. The most invaluable light source
was natural moonlight. I couldnt work
without any moonlight at all but also
found that if the moon was too large it was
impossible to shoot. A half-moon was the
ideal lighting.
BE OPEN TO NEW
THINGS
The woman in the tent is Bedouin and I
took this image in Polisario-controlled
Western Sahara. She lived in the desert
with her family and animals, and moved
with the rains, following a very traditional
lifestyle. The shot of the woman with the
teapot is in Moroccan-controlled Western
Sahara, which was the most difficult place
to work. Having been given the contact
details of activists, I found the experience
rather covert as I had to meet subjects at
night and take them out in the desert to
photograph, as they were too frightened
to have any taken in the city.
KNOWWHAT YOU WANT
I shot at night because I wanted to reflect
the desperation of the subjects lives.
Having spent time with so many people,
some of whom had horrific life stories to
share, I felt it was important to capture
them in a way that spoke of their
experience. Seeing so many as forgotten,
living in dark and dire circumstances, I
realised I should reflect this by shooting
them literally in the dark.
BRING OUT THE BEST
DETAILS
I have used Photoshop to balance the light
and sometimes bring the subject up
a little or to draw out the landscape if it
seemed too dark, just to get the contrast
right. I wanted to portray the subjects
circumstances as dark, but I needed their
faces and their surroundings to speak out
of that literal darkness. A
N
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NIGHT
24 hours of shooting Andrew McConnell
Dada Mohammed Kehel
and, facing page, Djimi
Elghalia in differently
controlled areas
of Western Sahara.
THE MOST INVALUABLE
LIGHT SOURCE WAS
NATURAL MOONLIGHT.
I COULDNT WORK WITHOUT
ANY MOONLIGHT AT ALL BUT
ALSO FOUNDTHAT IF THE
MOONWAS TOO LARGE IT
WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SHOOT.
A HALF-MOONWAS THE
IDEAL LIGHTING.
PM_MAY_24 Hours of Shooting_night:Layout 1 04/04/2011 17:28 Page 67
24 hours of shooting Sam Cooper
S
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C
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EXPERIMENT
For this image of Alex Robertson, called
Soul to Soul, I wanted to use my fisheye
lens in a different way. I wasnt exploring
all the ways it could be used to capture
action. The conventional idea behind
using wide-angle and fisheye lenses is
that you can get closer to the action, but
for this shot I took a few steps back and
found a whole new perspective. I used a
Sigma 10mm f/2.8 fisheye lens to
capture this action on a Nikon D50 for
its incredible off-camera flash sync rate
of 1/500sec, which is important for
anyone shooting action sports.
NIGHT
Alex Robertson Soul to Soul.
Sam Cooper is an amateur extreme sports
photographer with aspirations to turn pro. He is
self-taught, but is a natural talent with a real eye
for lighting and capturing action at night.
www.flickr.com/photos/sam_cooper_photography
BIOGRAPHY SAM COOPER
HOW TO LIGHT ACTION AT NIGHT
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[70] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
S
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I also had two Canon 540EZ Speedlites
linked up with CyberSync gear, with one to
my right at half the power and a diffuser
to gently light the scene. The other
flashgun was to my left at a quarter the
power, to freeze Alex in midair and add
tonal difference to the lit areas.
CHALLENGE YOURSELF
For the image of Alex Robertson (above) I
had several inspirations which contributed
to the overall look. One was a Flickr
contact of mine, J. Wedelstdt; another
was the body of work called The
Accidental Theorist by photographer
Edgar Martins. The artists symmetrical
and borderline geometric approach to the
work they produced was a breath of fresh
air to me. I challenged myself to produce
images that reflected the same qualities.
To achieve the look, I used two Canon
540EZ Speedlites set at a quarter of the
power. I used a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 prime
lens because I wanted a shallow depth of
field to help the rail and Alex to really
stand out from the rest of the lit scenery.
STAYALERT
I love the beautiful and quite frequently
bizarre architecture that litters the
streets of Barcelona. Its not very often
you get to shoot somebody, in this case
skater Richard Manning, performing a
stunt or trick upon a giant match, so you
have to grab it while its there.
PICK YOUR FOCUS
This was the first time I had used two
off-camera flashes a Canon 540EZ
Speedlite and a Vivitar 285HV flashgun,
both set to half power with a cheap eBay
trigger and receivers to set them off
so there was a fair bit of experimentation
with positioning the flashguns.
One problem I can remember was how
to light the scene without lighting the
grass a few feet behind the object.
I didnt want to light this up, as I felt it
made the shot messy and diminished
the potential impact of the scene, so I
placed the flashguns further off to
the side of the matchstick as opposed to
straight on.
HAVE FUN
There is so much fun to be had from
working at night, whether youre shooting
an already lit scene, a light painting or
light trails. The best thing Ive ever done
when lacking solid ideas is popping on
some headphones with some inspiring
music and going for a walk. As long as
you keep your eyes and mind open to
everything around you, scenes which you
have walked past a hundred times before
Alex Robertson Soul.
IT IS A
PHOTOGRAPHERS
CAMERA,
A CAMERA LOVERS
CAMERA AND
IT IS A JOYTO
WORK WITH.
COMING INTO
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TESTZONE
Camera review Fujifilm FinePix X100
4PRICE
It may not be cheap but when compared to
its competitors its a bargain.
5 DETAIL
If God is in the details the FinePix X100
must be one of his disciples.
WWW. PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [99]
RANGE
PM_MAY_Fujifilm_X100:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:16 Page 99
not years. The graphics are well considered
and easy to navigate which, with the
addition of the function button on the
template, meant that I had customised all
of the functions to my personal way of
shooting within minutes, with not a manual
page turned. In hand the X100 feels right
but it is a small camera despite its APS-C
CMOS sensor more often found on DSLRs.
This is a camera for people who love
cameras and photography, and as such
there is no specific auto mode; instead the
individual controls can all be set to auto
based on your personal preferences,
including the aperture, shutter speed and
ISO. In effect setting the aperture and
shutter speed to auto is the equivalent of
setting the X100s AE mode. As with most
launches these days the X100 is fitted with
a movie mode which records at 720p/24fps
with stereo sound which is activated
through the menus rather than a dedicated
control. All image
adjustments in movie
mode are automatic
and movie capture is
capped at 10 minutes.
So its there but its
not an obvious
benefit for the street photographer hoping
to capture both stills and moving image.
You can view images through either the
viewfinder or LCD screen and, by using the
AE/AFbuttons, run through a gamut of
options for viewing, including RAW
conversion, multi-frame, slide show,
favourites and panorama.
Although the multiple viewing functions
bring the X100 firmly into 2011,
it has a few nice touches which nod firmly
to photography of the past, including the
offset viewfinder and the custom image
presets which allow you to shoot on
legendary Fuji films such as Provia, Velvia
and Astia, as well as the standard
monochrome and sepia. As an ex-Velvia
photographer this was an unexpected but
interesting inclusion.
The X100 offers a continuous shooting
rate of either 3fps or 5fps with a burst
mode which has a maximum of 10Jpeg or
eight RAWimages while offering options for
exposure bracketing, film simulation
bracketing, dynamic range bracketing and
ISO bracketing. Like so many cameras
today, the X100 is fitted with a motion
panorama mode, complete with a horizon
guideline to aid horizontal orientation.
The resulting photos are 7,680 x 1,440 for
a 180 horizontal panorama, 5,120 x 1,440
for a 120 horizontal panorama, or slightly
bigger for vertical panoramas. This can be
viewed on the screen or via the viewfinder
and brought a cry from one of the PM staff
that it was like being on a submarine!
The X100 also has a built-in RAWconverter,
which can take into account exposure
compensation, dynamic range, white
balance and several other manual image
adjustments. You can also use the
converter to apply film simulation modes.
I loved the X100s high-quality dedicated
control dials. Aperture is old school and
sits comfortably at home on the lens barrel,
offering me the opportunity to work on the
old maxim stick it on 5.6 and you will be
okay! while shutter speed and exposure
compensation get their own dials on the
top of the camera. Fujifilm claims that the
TTL contrast AFis particularly quick and
responsive, due to the high-speed CMOS
sensor read-out and the EXR processors
enhanced focusing system, and I have to
agree with them. With AFdetecting the
entire screen, they report 49-point
metering. You can select between manual
focus, single autofocus and continuous
autofocus via a switch on the left side of
the camera. Autofocus can be set to area
or multi and there is an AFassist lamp
on the front, which can be turned on and
off in the menus.
Manual focus is achieved by using the
lens ring which is aided by a distance
indicator along the bottom of the screen,
which can be set to indicate metres or feet.
A focus check feature then brings up an
enlarged portion of the centre of the
screen to help determine whether youve
hit an accurate focus. You can even use
the menus to change whether the focus
ring adjusts in a clockwise or
counterclockwise direction. The ISO does
not have its own control dial, but can be
altered easily via the menus and/or the
function button for quick changes, which I
found to be the easiest way to work.
The camera offers all the standard ISO
options from 200 to6400, plus a number
of increments in between (for a total of 16
settings). There are two extended ISO
range options:
a low ISO and high ISO setting, with an
equivalent of ISO 100 and ISO 12800.
The aperture is located right where it
belongs along the barrel of the lens and
there are two metal grips on either side of
the lens to help you make accurate
adjustments. The aperture options are:
f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16 and auto.
Aperture is controlled with a nine-blade
aperture diaphragm. The shutter speed
also gets an old-school dial on the top of
the camera. The X100 supports both
bulb (B) and time (T) modes, as well as
shutter speeds of 1/4sec to 1/4,000sec.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY STUFFED FULL OF WHITE
BALANCE OPTIONS...
[100] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
PM_MAY_Fujifilm_X100:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:17 Page 100
WWW. PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [101]
TESTZONE
Camera review Fujifilm FinePix X100
For more news and reviews visit our site
www.photographymonthly.com
While bulb mode keeps the shutter open
for as long as you depress the shutter
button (up to60 minutes), time mode
allows you to select a time between half
a second and 30 seconds (in 1/3EVsteps).
You can engage shutter priority or aperture
priority modes by setting the aperture
or shutter to auto. When shutter speed is
set to auto, the range narrows to
1/3sec-1/4,000sec (or 1/4sec-1/1,000
at f/2-f/5.6). You can also set a minimum
shutter speed down to 1/4sec.
The more I go through what this camera
can do and how it is set out, the more I am
starting to realise what a photographers
camera this is. It really does feel as if
Fujifilm has taken a wishlist and ticked
every box. The X100 delivers everything
I want from a camera and more.
For example, it is absolutely stuffed full of
white balance options. Not only does it have
the expected straightforward auto WB, but
it also offers fine, shade, fluorescent 1
(daylight), fluorescent 2 (warm white),
fluorescent 3 (cool white), incandescent
and underwater. You can also take a custom
white balance reading and store at least
two different ones for future use.
More importantly, it also gives you the
ability to set sophisticated white balance
alterations by either changing the white
balance along two scales (red to cyan or
blue to yellow), or by selecting a specific
kelvin value. This is a true pros camera.
At 2.8in the LCD screen is a little smaller
than on most DSLRs these days with a
resolution of approximately460,000 pixels
and, much to my delight, it does not
flip out or rotate. But I rarely use the screen
other than for a quick review of images so I
was much more excited by the X100s
viewfinder which is really something
special. What makes it so special? Well, it
displays shooting information and a bright
frame through electronic overlay, which
means that you can use the optical
viewfinder and still see a live histogram,
aperture and other info. The brightness of
the overlay is automatically adjusted
according to the brightness of the screen.
Most importantly, the electronic bright
frame can be offset for automatic parallax
correction (ie the frame can compensate
for the difference between the position of
the viewfinder and that of the lens).
The viewfinder alone could well make
people buy this camera; other
manufacturers please take note.
The X100s custom-developed APS-C
CMOS sensor has been created for use
specifically in conjunction with the fixed
23mm Fujinon lens which, according to
Fujifilm, has 10 times the sensitivity of a
conventional compact camera sensor.
The lens is non-collapsible, with a fixed
focal length of 23mm (35mm equivalent:
35mm) and a maximum aperture of f/2,
and is composed of six groups of eight
lenses. It also features a built-in ND filter
(equivalent f-stop reduction of 3) to
enhance depth-of-field shooting even in
bright conditions.
What do I think of this camera? Near the
beginning of this review I did warn you that
I might well come over as a fawning
reviewer and I apologise if I have, but it is
rare to come across a camera which is this
good; when I do, I feel it is my duty to let
you know just how good it is. It is a
photographers camera, a camera lovers
camera and it is a joy to work with; quite
simply it is my next camera purchase when
funds allow. Fujifilm claims the X100 will
reignite your love of photography.
I can safely say that I never lost mine, but
it has brought back those warm feelings
that I used to have about my cameras.
RRP: 1,020.99.
www.fujifilm.co.uk
PM
LOVE
LOOKS: BUILD:
VIEWFINDER: SENSOR
HATE
I WOULD PROBABLY
LOSE THE LENS CAP
PM_MAY_Fujifilm_X100:Layout 1 05/04/2011 14:17 Page 101
WWW. PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [103]
This month KELLY WEECH
answers your questions
about kit to help you
make the right choices.
YOUR QUESTIONS
I am looking for a reliable, portable
hard drive to back up digital
files from my PC. I am on a budget
but would be willing to pay up to 100.
What would you suggest?
Verbatims Store n Go portable hard drive has
1TB of capacity and features USB 3.0 technology,
which gives Super Speed transfers up to4,800
megabits per second. Measuring only 127mm x
82mm x 20mm and weighing 185g, this hard drive
has a stylish, slim design, making it an attractive
and handy option. The drive comes with a single
cable that provides both data and power
connections, eliminating
the need for a separate
power supply.
It is backwards
compatible with USB
2.0 host devices at
USB high speed and
works with Windows
2000, XP, Vista,
Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.1 or
higher and Linux kernel 2.6 or
higher. It is available in six
neon colours. RRP 99.99.
www.verbatim-europe.co.uk
I need a reflector to use for portraits
and want a good all-rounder. What is
your advice?
Lastolite is the original manufacturer of
collapsible reflectors and produces a range of
reflectors which are high in quality and durability.
I particularly like the TriGrip reflectors, which
feature a moulded handle with securing strap,
allowing even more accurate positioning of the
reflector with just one hand. It also means that
light can be directed to all those awkward spots,
under the chin and
eyes, for example,
without the need for
stands or supports.
The securing straps
also allow you to
support the reflector
without gripping the
handle, reducing the
pressure on your wrist and
fingers when it is held for any
length of time.
If you shoot alone and require
both hands, then the new TriGrip
bracket is an ideal solution.
The TriGrip reflectors moulded
handle is placed into the bracket and
secured with the strap. The ball joint
connector then enables you to
position the reflector exactly where
you want, leaving your hands free to
Q
operate the camera.
This allows the reflector to
be attached to an extending
handle, lighting stand, tripod
or any other type of fixing
bracket, although a spigot
connector may be required.
At 75, the bracket is
a good investment if you
do not have the luxury
of an assistant to hand.
The reflectors are
available in various duo colour
combinations featuring white, silver, soft
silver, sunfire, sunlite and gold. They come in
45cm, 75cm and 1.2m sizes, with prices starting
from 50.
www.lastolite.com
I want to buy a compact system
camera. I am considering the
Olympus PEN E-P2 or Sony NEX-5.
What factors are worth considering before I
make an investment?
The Olympus PEN E-P1 took the market by
storm and the PEN E-P2 was hot on its heels just
five months later. It comes in black or silver and
includes minor upgrades with the addition of a
port for a new high-resolution electronic
viewfinder or external microphone, two new art
filters, AF tracking and i-Enhance colour
boosting function. However, the PEN E-P2s core
features remain the same as its predecessor.
These include a 12.3-megapixel DSLR sensor,
built-in image stabilisation, ISO speeds of up to
6400, RAW format support, HD 720p quality
video with continuous autofocus, a 3in LCD
screen, 3fps continuous shooting and a
Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system.
In comparison the Sony NEX-5 (above)
features a 14.2-megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS
sensor, 25-point contrast-detect autofocus
system, 49-segment exposure meter and 3in
tilting LCD panel with 921,600-dot resolution.
On the face of it, these specs exceed those of
the Olympus PEN E-P2, but the latter has
image stabilisation sensor shift, which
helps to eliminate blur caused by
small camera movements, while the
NEX-5 relies solely on the lens to do
this. However, Sony has disclosed
the basic specifications of its
E-mount for interchangeable single lens
cameras, without fee, to manufacturers of
lenses and mount adaptors, including Carl
Zeiss AG, Cosina, Sigma and Tamron. It opens the
door for these makers to develop products
conforming to E-mount specifications.
The PEN E-P2 is marginally slimmer than the
Sony NEX-5 and has 19 lenses available compared
Q
with Sonys
three. In my
opinion the PEN E-P2
has a certain DSLR charm
about it, particularly in its appearance and the
way in which you take an image. However, the
NEX-5 is probably more appropriate for the mass
market and for those who are not looking for as
much control or variety of accessories.
Your choice may also come down to price.
The Olympus PEN E-P2 14-42mm kit black
(including electronic viewfinder) has an RRP of
919.14 while the Sony NEX-5 with 16mm kit is
559, which is a big difference and may sway
your choice. I advise you to go into your local
Jessops shop and get your hands on both
cameras before you make a final decision.
www.olympus.co.uk www.sony.co.uk
I want to take my portraits to the
next level and wonder if it is worth
paying the much higher price of
the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM over the Canon
EF 50mm f/1.8 II?
Both lenses
give images of
a good quality,
but changing
your lens is
not essential
to improve
your portraits.
I recommend
you spend time in a good bookshop or online
getting inspiration from the work of some of the
greats from different eras, such as Richard
Avedon, Irving Penn, David Bailey, Helmut
Newton and, of course, Henri Cartier-Bresson.
As for the two lenses you mention, the Canon EF
50mm f/1.8 II is much cheaper (RRP 130
compared to 450) and at 130g weighs less than
half that of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM (290g),
which may be a contributing factor in your
choice. However, if you are taking pictures every
day you may want the more robust quality of the
costlier lens.
www.canon.co.uk
PM
Q
Q
UPGRADE
PM_MAY_UPGRADE:Layout 1 06/04/2011 11:33 Page 103
Continuous
Daylight
Balanced
Lighting Kits
EZ -FLO 2 head soft
box kit (shown) . . . . .179.74
Super Coolite 4 (4 x 55Watt )
2 head soft box kit . . . . . . . . . . . 285.95
EX150 Mk2
Home Studio Kit
Elinchrom
Lumen8 Pro
Studio Flash
LUMEN8 400w/s 2 head kit. . 430.00
Inc Stands, 2 brollies,
cables & carry bag
Lastolite Lastolite Interfit SKD Muslin LEE Filters
Bowens
Sekonic
Expodisk
60cm Cubelite . . 84.50
90cm Cubelite . 103.30
90cm Cubelite
kit . . . . . . . . . . . 329.70
Ezybox Hotshoe from. . . . . . . . . 84.50
LASTOLITE Triflector
Compact and easy to use,
Triflector is three panels on one
lighting stand. Hinge mechanisms
make all panels individually
adjustable to get light exactly
where you need it.
The Sunfire/Silver version comes
with a stand . . . 131.50
Triflector without stand. . . 112.70
LASTOLITE Cubelite,
Ezybox Hotshoe
Lastolite Baby poser . . . . . . . . . 98.60
Lastolite Posing tubs . . . . . . . . 197.00
LASTOLITE
SAVAGE
Background paper
1 roll (2.75m x 11m) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.72
Triple hooks (MN045) . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.69
XPan set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73.49
Interfit INT312 wall mounting
kit for up to 3 rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69.38
All prices are correct at time of going to press
and include V.A.T at the current rate. E&OE.
Studio Kit Direct. Bridgnorth. WV16 5JB
STUDIO KIT DIRECT
D Lite2 Kit 200/200
Softbox Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485.00
D Lite4 Kit 400/400
Softbox Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529.00
BXRi 500/500 Softbox Kit . . . . 824.50
BXRi 500/250 Softbox Kit . . . . 776.00
BXRi 250/250 Softbox Kit . . . . 735.00
New D Lite kits
come with 2 x
66cm soft boxes
plus a 16cm
reflector and
Skyport Eco
Transmitter,
stands ,cables
and carry cases
Interfit
Its what your hotshoe
flash has been waiting
for! NOW IN STOCK
Buy On-Line at...
www.studiokitdirect.co.uk
Gemini 200/200
studio in a bag . 485.11
Gemini 400/400 studio
in a bag . . . 556.60
Gemini 250R 2 head kit . . . . .807.84
Gemini 500R 2 head kit . . . . .875.04
New Type R kits - new features include
5 stop power range in 1/10th stop, dual
power control, auto power dump,
optional plug-in trigger cards for Pulsar
or Pocket Wizard plus lots more!
See web for other kits
Gemini 200/400 shown
Gemini 250R
shown
Sekonic's highly rated, award
winning meters are available in a
wide range of models to suit all
subjects and shooting conditions.
L308 S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135.74
L358 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225.39
L758D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394.54
If you own a digital slr or video camera, you
need one of these.
Replace your grey and
white cards with the
EXPODISK
digital white balance filter.
Available from
58mm to 82mm, 48.50 to 79.50.
We stock a
wide range of
background
support
systems
From a host of respected
brands including.....
Lastolite 1108 140.39
Manfrotto MN314B 209.52
All above have telescopic cross bars
Interfit COR756 101.21
Plus a range of Lighting Stands
and Auto Poles
- please see our website
NEW!! Crease resistant
fabric in Black or White in
size 8 x 10ft only 40.84
We carry huge stocks of Lee Filters - if
its listed on the website - its in stock!
Example prices...
Big Stopper 10xND Glass Filter . . . . 96.00
B+W Kaseman 105 mm circ polar . 219.13
Foundation Kit at the
centre of the Lee Filter
holder system and is
primarily designed to
take 100mm filters,
although other sizes can
be adapted to fit.
Once constructed, the holder clips easily
onto the adaptor ring and can then be
rotated to your exact requirements, This
also enables optimum use of grad and
special effect filters. . . . . . . . . . . . . 60.69
Starter Kit includes
an assembled filter
holder, a 0.6 ND
grad, a cleaning
cloth, and a Coral 3
grad with extended
coloured portion that
can be used as both a graduate and an all
over warm up. All packed in the new three
filter triple pouch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142.99
Adaptor rings from. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.40
W/A adaptor rings from . . . . . . . . . . 41.72
ND grad sets from . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173.62
Resin sets from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94.97
Ind resins from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44.94
Multi filter pouch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34.80
105mm polariser ring . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.35
Standard lens hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88.75
Improve your
results TODAY!
Heads & Accessories are
listed on our website
Kit contains 2 Heads with
Stands, Soft Box, Brolly & DVD
203.47
EX150 3 head kit 339.90
Backgrounds
Super size 10 x 16ft, also 10 x 20ft
- Mill Dyed for the truest
and richest colours
in BLACK, WHITE,
CHROMA KEY
GREEN & BLUE
- from 64.32
each.
Mottled now in 8
colours 10 x 16ft -
heavy muslin to our
own design and
specification - machine
washable Great Value!
66.95 each.
Collapsible, Reversible
Backgrounds
6701 Black/White
with train. . . . . . . . . 176.69
1.8m x 1.5m . . . . . . 93.90
2.1m x 1.8m plus
1.5m train . . . . . . . . 159.69
WHITE VINYL ROLLS 2.75 x 6 metre
on alloy tube 194.03
Hilite
Backgrounds
from 214.47
See web or ring for details
Buy On-Line... www.studiokitdirect.co.uk Tel: 01746 769 768
Stellar X 300/300 twin brolly kit 417
CANON AF SPECIAL
14-24mm f2.8 G
ED 1319
WANTED
...Buy-In Hotline 01803 852400 or email info@mifsuds.com
We are happy to reserve new and used stock for customers travelling long distance.
Prices subject to change without notice so please check availabilty to avoid disappointment.
Family Run Pro Dealership with Friendly, Knowledgable Staff. Part Exchange Welcome.
Prices correct when compiled 05/04/2011 and inc VAT @ current rate. E&OE.
Quality and Service from one of the U.Ks Best Stocked Pro Dealers
27-29, Bolton Street, BRIXHAM. Devon. TQ5 9BZ. (OPEN 7 DAYS PER WEEK)
Mail order: 01803 852400 Email: info@mifsuds.com
Nikon D3S body
3589
U.K.
Stock
ONLY
Canon
EOS 1D
MKIV body
3399
Canon
EOS 5D
MKII body
1697
Canon EOS 7D
body
1147
U.K.
Stock
ONLY
U.K.
Stock
ONLY
Canon EOS 60D
body 769
EOS 60D +
18-55mm IS
885
Canon
70-200mm
f2.8 IS LII
1789
Canon 300mm
f2.8 IS L U
3999
Nikon
D700 body
1799
Nikon
D300s
body
977
U.K.
Stock
ONLY
Nikon
D90 body
539
Nikon D90
+ 18-105mm
669
Nikon 200-400mm f4 VR
4299
Nikon 500mm f4 AFS
VR 5849
U.K.
Stock
ONLY
Canon
EOS
600D
body
649
NEW!
U.K.
Stock
ONLY
Nikon
24-120mm
f4 G ED VR
859
Nikon
28-300mm
f3.5/5.6 G ED
VR 737
Nikon 85mm
f1.4 AF-S
1299
www.mifsuds.com updated daily - 1024 bit encryption
Nikon
D7000 body
889
D7000
+ 18-105mm
1049
U.K.
Stock
ONLY
Nikon
16-35mm
f4 AFS VR
869
U.K.
Stock
ONLY
U.K.
Stock
ONLY
Canon
70-200mm
f2.8 L
997
Nikon SB-600 199
Nikon
SB-700
259
Nikon
SB-900
349
C
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Single or multi day photographic workshops and experience days on flexible
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Full details available on www.donbishop.co.uk
Tel: 01278 784825 email: donbishop@btconnect.com
www.photographytuition.co.uk
Improve your camera skills on location in mid Wales
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ACCESSORIES
COURSES
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Small Groups - visit our website for details
www.photographyandpaintingholidays.com or call:
Bob Atkins - 01892 871596 bob@thevenuefinderservice.co.uk
INSURANCE
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email: mike@farrowhousetraining.com
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The weather bestowed a great gift upon us during this
visit with a far higher-than-average rainfall, which
caused ephemeral rivers to flow and make green the
Namib Desert. This process was at its most
spectacular around Sossusvlei, deep among the high
orange dunes of the Namib-Naukluft National Park.
There is some dispute over the meaning of its
name, with choices including dead end marsh or place
of gathering water, but the spot marks the end of the
ephemeral Tsauchab river course. Visitors who drive
the40 miles into the sands are normally presented
with a drab clay pan. However, perhaps once a
decade, heavy rains in the Great Escarpment about
60 miles to the east cause the arid bowl to become
a lake mirroring the dunes. I felt extremely privileged
to have witnessed this extraordinary event, but
also felt certain any images I made would fall short
of conveying my sense of wonder.
Wonderful as this sight was, it paled in comparison
to my experiences in Dead Vlei. This is widely known
for the surreal juxtaposition of skeletal camel thorn
trees, dead for more than 600 years, standing on
a white clay pan almost surrounded by great dunes,
hundreds of metres high.
I and another photographer walked into the pan
in the chill, pre-dawn light for our last shoot in the
desert. Within a few minutes of our arrival, just as the
first light was caressing the dune summits, ghostly
tendrils of mist began to edge over the crests
and reach out into the pan. The mist soon filled
the bowl between the dunes. Golden light reflected
from the sand and filtered through the mist,
transforming the already eerie scene into something
beyond words.
[114] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY MAY 2011
DAVID WARD
This month David ponders the
experiences that make a successful
image packed full of emotion.
ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY? ARE YOU
SURE? I thought I saw some fidgeting at the back.
Okay, all settled; then its time to tell you a story.
Once upon a time in a land far, far away, a group of
intrepid photographers tried to capture a scintilla of
the sense of wonder they felt from travelling through
manifold mystical and magical landscapes
Actually what Im about to tell you isnt a fairy tale,
but neither is it a documentary. It is something
in-between these worlds which, rather interestingly,
is a space shared by the photographs we make.
The journey referred to above is one I undertook
with a group through the amazing desert scenery
of southern Namibia. We started by visiting a primeval
quiver tree forest before moving on to abandoned
diamond mine townships and from there to towering
dunes in the heart of what is considered the oldest
desert on the planet.
It might have been my last journey to a country
that has managed to move me more than almost any
other. So it was a bittersweet experience, as I have
no doubt this awareness invested my photographic
efforts with a particular expectation.
Even though I have travelled there before, the
Namibian landscapes of southern Africa I encountered
on this journey amazed and surprised me.
David is a professional photographer with more
than 20 years experience. He shoots large format
and is drawn to the abstract image.
To read more of Davids columns and for
more advice from the pros visit the
website www.photographymonthly.com
D
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FSTOP
Skeletal camel thorn trees,
Dead Vlei, Namibia.
Every surface was quickly coated in dew and our
clothing became cold and clammy, but we were
impervious to physical discomforts, rushing from one
photographic opportunity to another and frantically
trying to capture a tiny fraction of the wonder we felt.
Surely capturing some spark of the wonder we
feel is what all photographers try to do, irrespective
of the subject matter were shooting? Afterwards, my
companion and I agreed that for the two of us
to be almost alone amid this splendour was one of
the most moving natural events of our lives.
So you might ask if I feel my images do the
experience justice. But thats the wrong question.
The photograph is what it is. It may be written
by the light of a particular event but it represents
only a tiny fraction of the sensory input surrounding
that event. Even a 3D movie isnt much better.
A photograph can never stand in for the physical
reality, so we shouldnt imagine that we can do
more with it than make an imperfect statement about
how we felt. Indeed what we say can even be at odds
with our experience because, as Ive pointed out
before, photographs quote out of context. The single
image has to stand (or fall) independent of specific
context and it does this by appealing to wider cultural
or natural contexts. Does the accompanying
image work within these parameters? I think so.
www.into-the-light.com
PM
GOLDEN LIGHT REFLECTED FROMTHE SANDAND FILTERED
THROUGHTHE MIST, TRANSFORMINGTHE ALREADY
EERIE SCENE INTO SOMETHING BEYONDWORDS.
PM_MAY_FSTOP:Layout 1 06/04/2011 11:34 Page 114
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