47 MINUTES OF VIDEO The definitive guide to SLR photography
Make 2017 your best year ever ...
MASTER YOUR CAMERA NOW! Your complete guide to the basics
free! With this issue
2017 planner & COMPETITIONS LISTINGS Photoshop ebook &Â gear guide
F E B R U AR Y 2 0 1 7 186
Everything you need to know about photography!
C OVER s t o r y
Master your camera Your complete guide to the basics
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James Abbott reveals all you need to know about your SLR so you can take your best shots ever in 2017! Exposure, aperture, ISO…it’s all here
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reader shootout Street photography
A couple both passionate about the street photography genre go head to head in the Big Smoke, and snap portraits during the day and night to take the street title! www.digitalcameraworld.com
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Photography competitions Enter to win in 2017 We’ve condensed the best photography competitions of 2017 so you can be fully prepared to enter each one, and know what prizes are up for grabs
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Manual lenses primes ON TEST
In this month’s group test we take seven mighty manual-focus prime lenses and find out what advantages they offer over regular autofocus-equipped models FEBRUARY 2017
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Welcome to the February 2017 issue of Digital Camera
ThiS MONTH’S STAR CONTRIBUTORS…
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appy new year! To kickstart 2017, we’ve put together a crash course on the basics. So, whether you’re new to photography or simply need a bit of a refresher, we’ll get you up to speed from the get go. Turn to page 43 for more. We’ve also compiled a comprehensive list of some of the world’s best photo competitions. These are a great way to flex your creative muscles and hone your skills – and who knows? You might win too. There are some amazing prizes up for grabs, not to mention the kudos and the world-wide recognition. To ensure you don’t miss any of the crucial deadlines, you’ll notice we’ve also created a free wall planner for you. There’s bags of inspiration to get your creative juices flowing too, from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year images to Trevor Leighton’s stunning portraits. Good luck with your shooting – and be sure to let us know which competitions you win!
ThE BIG INTERVIEW
Trevor Leighton
This renowned celebrity portrait photographer shares his experiences
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Work eXPERIENCE Damien lovegrove
The popular beauty and portrait photographer reveals all
76
QUESTION MASTER ANDREW JAMES
Got a query? Need advice? Want your picture rated? Just ask Andrew
Ben Brain Editor, Digital Camera
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ANALYSIS Beniamino Pisati
We analyse this travel photographer’s snowy scene
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PORTFOLIO Jatenipat Ketpradit
This travel photographer shares his adventure stories with us
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lightroom maestro Sean McCormack Sean shows you show to add tilt-and-shift to your portraits
About the cover photograph “After spending at least an hour on dirt roads in a 4x4, I arrived at this gem of a location in the remote back country of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, USA,” says Marc Adamus. “I then walked another hour or so, marvelling at the multitude of stripes, textures, colours and patterns present across the landscape.”
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Around 30 minutes before sunset, says Marc, the light began to transform the land. “I shot the image near the ground, making three exposures to utilise the maximum amount of focus-stacking at f/22 to keep the details in the scene sharp. Exposures were 1/40 second each at ISO 400.” www.marcadamus.com
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F REE GI F TS EVE r y i s s u e w e b r i n g y o u m o r e f r e e b i e s t h a n a n y o t h e r p h o t o m a g a z i n e !
DOUBLE-SIDED POSTER
watch video
2017 wall planner plus competition listings guide
To tie in with our special 2017 photography competition feature, we’re giving away a wall planner so you can plot your photographic year! Download the PDF now via www.bit.ly/dc186planner and use your colour printer to output your own copy.
47 minutes of video Follow along with all our regular Photoshop and Lightroom pros so you can master your editing skills. You’ll find all the videos on a private YouTube playlist via www.bit.ly/dc186video www.digitalcameraworld.com
www.bit.ly/ dc186video
Download the video www.bit.ly/ dc186bonus
over £150,000 to be won in photography competitions in 2017!
Whenever you see these logos on a page in the magazine, you can find related content online
162-page GEAR buyer’s guide
Take control of colour
If you’re after new kit then a peak inside our Camera Shopper guide is a must. This issue of Camera Shopper is provided as a PDF ebook: download it to your computer via www.bit.ly/shopper15
Learn seven different ways to master and manipulate colour in Photoshop, with a bonus on colour profiles. You can download this ebook as a PDF via www.bit.ly/dc186ebook november FEBRUARY 2015 2017
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C ONTENTS
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Print 30,608 Digital 5,580 Jan–Dec 2015 A member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations
ANOTHER B U MPER ISS U E fu l l o f p h o t o fu n
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EXPERT PRO ADVICE
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Hotshots
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 winners showcased
76
Editorial
Photo Answers
Andrew James rates your pictures and solves your problems
18 In Focus
84 Assignment
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All the latest news delivered in bite-sized chunks for you to digest
Photo competitions
We’ve rounded up the best photo competitions of 2017
43 Master your camera
Read our camera crash course to get to grips with the basics
58 Back to Basics
Everything you need to know about 360 imaging and VR
62 Image Analysis
Under analysis we take a close look at a snowy street scene
68
Shootout
Let’s take it back to the concrete streets for this shootout!
74
Portfolio
Meet the travel photographer who really goes to extremes
All the leaves are brown as we judge our autumn competition
Get all the goss from celebrity photographer Trevor Leighton
96 Experience
Damien Lovegrove shares his experiences on the portraiture genre
100 Bluffer’s Notes
Sebastião Salgado, master of the black-and-white medium
127 Digital Darkroom
Improve your editing skills with our resident pros
146
Back issues
148
Desert Island D-SLR
Catch up on your reading with recent issues and special deals
Doug Allan shares more than we bargained for!
LaTEST CAMERAS AND GEAR
Canon EOS Sony 50mm Instant 102 110 120 1300D vs cameras Nikon D3400 Let the battle of the beginner models commence!
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Pentax K-70
A mid-range rugged SLR from Pentax gets our test-drive
108
GoPro Hero5
For the adventurous, action-packed type!
An f/1.4 prime lens on a budget for Micro Four Thirds and Sony
Group Test: 112 Manualfocus lenses Seven mighty manual lenses put to the test
Subscribe and get great gifts PAGE 24 6
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Retro instant cameras quickly rounded up!
111 Sigma 30mm 123
FEBRUARY 2017
Technique editor Claire Gillo claire.gillo@futurenet.com Contributing editor Marcus Hawkins marcus.hawkins@futurenet.com Art editor Roddy Llewellyn richard.llewellyn@futurenet.com Operations editor Richard Hill richard.hill@futurenet.com Graduate writer Lauren Scott lauren.scott@futurenet.com
Interview
Capture macro results with this lens for Sony’s mirrorless systems
Editor Ben Brain ben.brain@futurenet.com
Gloves
Find out the best mitts this winter for outdoor photographers
124 Camera phones
The best optic for mobile shooters on the go
Online editor Phil Hall phil.hall@futurenet.com Head of testing Rod Lawton rod.lawton@futurenet.com Imaging labs manager Ben Andrews ben.andrews@futurenet.com Cover image Marc Adamus Editorial contributors James Abbott, David Clark, Charlie Coles, Andrew James, Alastair Jennings, Sean McCormack, Jeff Meyer, James Paterson, Matthew Richards, Rob Speed
Advertising Senior advertising sales manager Amanda Burns amanda.burns@futurenet.com Account director Matt Bailey matt.bailey@futurenet.com Marketing Marketing director Sascha Kimmel Circulation Campaign manager Charlotte Lloyd-Williams Production Production co-ordinator Vivienne Calvert Licensing Senior licensing and syndication manager Matt Ellis matt.ellis@futurenet.com +44 (0)1225 442244 Management Creative director Aaron Asadi Editorial director Matthew Pierce Group editor-in-chief Chris George Group art director Rodney Dive Subscriptions & back issues Order line & enquiries: +44 (0)1604 251045
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All contents copyright © 2016 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored, transmitted or used in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price and other details of products or services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any changes or updates to them. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage. We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from well managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. Future Publishing and its paper suppliers have been independently certified in accordance with the rules of the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).
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VI D EOS
Wat c h t h e s e v i d e o s v i a w w w. b i t . l y / d c 1 8 6 v i d e o
Photoshop guide
Ta k e c o m p l ete c o n tr o l o f c o l o ur
Understanding colour: Discover how Photoshop profiles can help you reproduce colours accurately in print or on the web See page 9 of your ebook 8
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VI D EOS
Wat c h t h e s e v i d e o s v i a w w w. b i t . l y / d c 1 8 6 v i d e o
Image-editing guides for Photoshop and Lightroom: see page 127 for contents
Lightroom Skills: You don’t have to limit tilt-shift effects to landscape shots
Tool School: Learn how to merge a set of raw exposures in Camera Raw (1)
Tool School: Learn how to merge a set of raw exposures in Camera Raw (2)
Artist Insight: Recreate light leaks, one of the accidental but cool effects of film
Creative Spotlight: Control mood and atmosphere with Camera Raw tweaks
Read the tutorial on page 130
Read the tutorial on page 132 www.digitalcameraworld.com
Read the tutorial on page 128
Read the tutorial on page 130
Read the tutorial on page 136 FEBRUARY 2017
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HOTSHOTS Winning images from Wildlife Photographer of the Year 52
Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 52 Wildlife Photographer of the Year calls on photographers worldwide to put nature in the frame. www.nhm.ac.uk/ visit/wpy.html
The alley cat Nayan Khanolkar Winner, Urban At night in the Aarey Milk Colony in a suburb of Mumbai, leopards slip ghost-like through the maze of alleys, looking for food (especially stray dogs). The Warli people living in the area respect the big cats. Despite close encounters and occasional attacks, the cats are an accepted part of their lives. The leopard is not only the most versatile of the world’s big cats but possibly the most persecuted. With growing human-leopard conflicts elsewhere grabbing the headlines, Nayan was determined to use his pictures to show how things can be different with tolerance and planning. Positioning his flashes to mimic the alley’s usual lighting and his camera so that a passing cat would not dominate the frame, he finally – after four months – got the shot he wanted. Kit Nikon D7000 with 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens at 21mm, plus three Nikon flashes and Trailmaster infrared triggers Exposure 1/20 sec at f/7.1
HOTSHOTS
SEND US YOUR SHOTS Your photograph could appear here! Send your best recent shot to digitalcamera @futurenet.com (subject line: Hotshots)
HOTSHOTS HOTSHOTS
Wild West stand-off
Charlie Hamilton James Finalist, Mammals A grizzly bear charges at ravens trying to grab a piece of the feast. The bison is a road-kill that rangers have moved to a spot they use for carrion, to avoid contact between predators and tourists. The location is Grand Teton National Park. “Approaching a bear’s lunch is a dangerous thing to do,” says Charlie. So there were strict protocols for getting out of his vehicle every time he went to check his camera trap. Over nearly five months, he had thousands of images of ravens and vultures, but only a few of wolves or bears, and none were up to the high standards he set himself – until this one. Kit Nikon D7100 with 10-24mm lens at 24mm plus Trailmaster TM550 passive infra-red monitor Exposure 1/2,500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 1,600
Playing pangolin
Lance van de Vyver Finalist, Black & White Lance had tracked the pride for several hours before they stopped to rest by a waterhole, but their attention was not on drinking. The lions (in South Africa’s Tswalu Kalahari Private Game Reserve) had discovered a Temminck’s ground pangolin. This armour-plated mammal curls up into an almost-impregnable ball when threatened. Pangolins usually escape unscathed from big cats (though not from humans). But these lions just wouldn’t give up. “They rolled it around like a soccer ball,” says Lance. Kit Canon EOS 5DS R with 500mm f/4 lens Exposure 1/1,600 sec at f/4, ISO 1,600
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