Notindoor photography magazine february 2016

NOTINDOOR

LANDSCAPEANDFINEARTPHOTOGRAPHYMAGAZINE

+ Photographer of the Month - Julia Shlomenzon + On Top of the World - Viktoria Haack + 500px, Photographer’s Best Friend? + Squiver.com - Ryan Dyar + Nikon D810 Giveaway + Portfolio - Ionuţ Caraş and much more!

NOTINDOORPHOTOGRAPHY | Issue #3 | 2.1.2016 | Los Angeles, CA

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FIRSTWORDS /

Moshe Levis

Welcome and thank you for downloading our 3rd magazine issue.

February is going to be a great month. I know it. Not only because it’s the month of my birthday, but this year, many other people will be able to celebrate their birthdays on the 29th. Happy birthday to all of you.

With every new month, I get to come up with some pretty cool topics for our writers, photographers and readers, to write about. It’s one of my favorite things as the chief editor. The other thing I really love is to put everything together into one big and beautiful piece of art, every month. Seeing the magazine coming to life is really satisfying. I feel lucky, and I want to thank you all - our photographers, writers and readers - for that.

For Our Special Edition - we got you the best deal in the world for the best workshop in the world with one of the best portrait photographers in the world, Sean Archer Photography. If you Google him you’ll immediately find stunning portraits of beautiful models. You’ll know it’s him ;) As part of our special edition issue we got Sean Archer to give you a live workshop that usually costs about $300, for a lot less. You won’t find it anywhere else!

If you’re already familiar with his work you and want to know his secrets, don’t wait for too long.

Get the special edition issue before it’s gone!

This month, we have a few awesome prizes for you and we would love to gift them to the winners.

Photo of the Month contest - A monthly contest where one photographer, who is a member of our NOTINDOOR Facebook group gets: his/hers photograph published in our magazine on a full spread (and is the first picture in the magazine issue), publication on our magazine website, a pinned post in our Facebook group, a shout out to our email subscribers and $200 in cash prize!

To find out who’s the this month’s winner you’ll have to flip through the pages.

Our first photo contest - NOTINDOOR Photo Contest #1 - A photo contest that is open to all photographers anywhere in the world. We have prizes worth over $600 for you so go check it out right now. The deadline is at the end of February. Submit Your Photos Now! Super Awesome Giveaway - we are giving away a Nikon D810 and a Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 lens!

Until next month, just remember - Amazing things happen, when you’re NOTINDOOR!

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NOTINDOOR PHOTOOFTHEMONTH click here to submit your photos to next month’s contest. You can win $200 and a placement right here.

WALLSTREETINNEWYORK BY DYLAN FOX - Congratulations on this placement and the $200 cash prize 4 NOTINDOOR

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For More From David: Facebook Page | 500px | Instagram

CAMERA: D750 • LENS: 24-70mm F2.8 SETTINGS: 24mm • f/8 • 120 sec • ISO 100 LOCATION: Wall Street,New York

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Dagur Jonsson photographer

Indu M. photographer/writer

Roberto Sysa Moiola photographer

Ryan Dyar photographer

Sean Archer photographer

Thomas Jerger photographer

Bernd Meibner photographer

Vassilis Pitoulis photographer

Ionuţ Caraş photographer

Steven Servantez writer/photographer

Lain Stanley photographer

Judy Colbert writer

Viktoria Haack photographer

Sebastian Degardin photographer

Julia Shlomenzon photographer

Karl Girardet photographer

Heidi Horvath photographer/writer

Jevgenija Sitik photographer

500px website

Patricia Bates

Mateo Bezuh

photographer/writer 6 NOTINDOOR

writer

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FEATUREDTHISMONTH

Allan Pudlitzke photographer/writer

FROMOURREADERSGALLERY

clicking an image will open it in a new window

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FEATURED ARTICLES

500PX. PHOTOTOGRAPHER’S BEST FRIEND?

THE LENS FOR ALL OCCASIO NS / Iain Stanley

PORTFOLIO - KARL GIRARDET

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH JULIA SHLOMENZON

ON TOP OF THE WORLD AT LAST / Viktoria Haack

PORTFOLIO - IONUŢ CARAŞ

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NORTHERN LIGHTS IN ICELAND / Dagur Jonsson

FACE OFF - INTERVIEW WITH PHOTOGRAPHER, SEAN ARCHER

THE UNSEEN FLOWERS AROUND US / Thomas Jerger

72 HOURS IN ICELAND / Sebastian Degardin

SQUIVER.COM - WEBSITE AND INTERVIEW / Allan Pudlitzke

AEREAL PHOTOS FROM ITALIAN AND SWITZERLAND ALPS / Roberto Sysa Moiola 9

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MAGAZINESECTIONS/STORIESREVIEWSTUTORIALS...

THE ULTIMATE FIGHT

STAFF PICK

GOOD READS

BLACK AND WHITE

TECH TALK TICK TOCK

BLACK AND WHITE

BLACK AND WHITE

LIVING SMALL

GOOD READS

FLY WITH THE BIRDS

LIVING SMALL

THE MAGIC HOUR

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contents

contents

BLACK AND WHITE

SUPER AWESOME GIVEAWAY

JOIN OUR MEETUP GROUP

JOIN OUR 500PX GROUP

GOOD READS

MUNCHENSTEIN FOREST

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500px Photographer’s

Best Friend?

Colors of Faith by Devesh Tripathi

IS 500PX THE BEST PLACE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS? From its launch in 2009, 500px has been synonymous with quality, attracting strong participation from professional photographers and serious hobbyists around the world. The amazing work these photographers have shared on 500px has, in turn, attracted photography fans and beginners who see 500px as the best place to discover inspiring work and learn from great mentors.

Today, 500px boasts 7 million registered members who have uploaded over 65 million photos to the platform through our desktop and mobile apps.

WHAT DO THEY OFFER THAT NO ONE ELSE DOES? 500px was created by photographers for photographers as a place where photographers and photo lovers could share their best work. It has since evolved into one of the largest photo communities on the planet.

From the beginning, their goal has been to enable and reward visual creativity. They do this by giving the community the tools and resources 14 NOTINDOOR

My Next Adventure by Michael Matti they need to further their passion, and by helping to curate and surface great content. For example, their monthly Editors’ Choice section is curated by selected members of the community, Debuts features photographers brand new to 500px, and Galleries is a new social application that allows anyone in the community to become a photo editor by creating

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and sharing public Galleries on 500px or other social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

On top of these engaging curation and discovery features, 500px has also built a marketplace, making it easier for photographers of all levels to begin licensing their photography and turn their passion into a source of income.

ANY SUCCESS STORIES THANKS TO 500PX? One of the most incredible success stories to come out of the 500px community is the story of Elena Shumilova.

A former architect and mother of three, her family moved to the Russian countryside several years ago. In need of a creative outlet, she began photographing her kids, capturing their innocence and the joy with which they interacted with pets, farm animals, wildlife, and the beautiful landscape.

When she began sharing her images—touching, timeless photos of unspoiled childhood—on 500px, her account exploded. Almost overnight she earned tens of thousands of followers and millions of views on her photos, catapulting her from relative obscurity to Internet fame, and beyond. (500px.com/elenashumilova)

DO THEY RUN ANY CONTESTS? 500px runs two-week-long Photo Quests throughout the year, which allow photographers from around the world to stretch their skills and show off their creativity by submitting work that fits the Quest theme.

Winners are recognized on our ISO blog and awarded prizes ranging from their image being licensed for a photography book to new camera bags and other cool gear.

THEY EVEN HAVE EXPEDITIONS! The annual 500px Global Photowalk brings our global community together in person for a day of fun and photography. Every year, tens of thousands of photographers come out to participate in hundreds of countries across the world, uploading the photos they take to 500px and giving us a glimpse into what their slice of the world looks like.

Daisies by Maja Topcagic

In 2015, over 30,000 people signed up to attend walks led by 500px photographers across 210 cities in 119 countries on all seven continents. In conjunction with their sponsors, they award prizes for the best work, including staff picks for Most Relevant, Most Creative Mobile Photo, Best Group Photo, and Popular Vote. They’re already planning the next 500px Global Photo Walk for September 2016!

We, at NOTINDOOR, want to take Lisa from 500px for taking the time and answering our questions. We hope you like what you read and see and that your new journey with 500px will be as productive and exciting as it should.

No account yet? Sign Up Today

Climber Rappelling Into Cave by Jared Carlson 15

IT’S ALL ABOUT TH

BOUT THE LENS BOUT TH

A PERFECTLENS BY MOSHE LEVIS 16 NOTINDOOR

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HE LENS...

S...

HE LENS...

CAMERA: NIKON D800e • LENS: Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 SETTINGS: 200mm • f/5 • 1/200 sec • ISO 100

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All Lens Occasions The

For

When you first start out with photography everyone tells you that the most important thing is ‘glass’. “Build your lens collection, man” is what everyone said to me when I first asked what I needed to do to really improve, all those years ago. It’s a very true notion and one that hasn’t changed, but there’s some really big problems with this approach – as your lens collection grows, not only does your bank balance quickly diminish, but you begin to resemble a turtle every time you take your camera bag out for a shoot. Sometimes when I’m lugging all my lenses around I feel like I’m a Nepalese Sherpa slogging the Himalayas. So wouldn’t it be great if you could use one lens that covered almost all of your needs? Enter the Tamron 16-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro.

I bought this lens a while back when I was planning a trip through Europe. I didn’t want the weight of all my lenses, nor did I want to worry about a bag full of lenses all the time. I was simply after a single, walk-around lens that offered high quality construction and high quality results. I did the necessary research and came up with this lens. It’s wider than any other comparative lens at 16mm, and equally as long at 300mm. Surprisingly, the weight is not at all bad either, coming in at 540g. I own the Canon L-Series 24-105mm and it’s a great lens, but it feels so much heavier than the Tamron (though in fact is only 670g).

I’m not really a guy who gets too hung up on specs and technical specifics, but for those who do care, here are some headline features about this lens: • 16-300mm focal length range (approx 24-450mm equivalent) • Maximum aperture F3.5 - F6.3 / Minimum aperture F22.0 - F40.0 • Swift and quiet PZD ultrasonic-drive auto focus • Effective VC (Vibration Compensation) in-lens image stabilization • Compact size (for focal length range) • APS-C format only, in fittings for Canon, Nikon and Sony DSLRs • Close focusing to 0.39m, maximum magnification 0.34x • Weather-resistant build

This was taken near my home in Miyazaki, Japan. The focal length was 22mm, with an aperture of f13, shutter 6 secs and ISO 100. The lens performs best between f8-f13, and 20-200mm in my experience. I have to say that when you are wide-open (at the minimum 16mm) you do get a little bit of chromatic aberration and distortion. It is easily fixable in Lightroom or Photoshop, but it does exist, and it is why I never shoot at 16mm. The same can be said for shooting at the maximum zoom of 300mm. It is not a deal-breaker by any means, but consumers should be aware of this fact.

However, crisp focus remains at the center of all shots right through the zoom range.

Here is another shot I took with the Tamron 16-300mm, this time in Santorini, Greece.

The main reason for displaying these travel photos is to show you that this is an easy lens to carry around with you all day.

Of course, the most important thing about any lens is the photos it produces. Here are some examples of shots I have taken recently with this lens. continue on page 20

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1/60, f10, ISO 400, 24mm

1/250, f10, ISO 200, 41mm

I don’t use a strap with my camera (silly, I know!) and I had no problem whatsoever walking around all day with my Canon 7d in hand, with this Tamron 16-300mm attached. It is also a great lens for sporting events or situations where you can’t get too close.

To conclude, if you want a high-quality, versatile lens that is easy to use, easy to carry, and won’t break the bank, then this could be the perfect lens for you.

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Iain Stanley Photographer/Author

My name is Iain Stanley, and I’m from Sydney, Australia originally, but now I’m a guy in perpetual wanderlust, living in Japan, travelling the world, taking photos and loving life.

Website | Facebook | Insta | Blog

Sunrise Photos From Waking Up To Final Results

think there are any bad photos really. Nature has a way of all the details being so perfect. It’s the capturing and the skill of that capture that is the thrill, and the fun of the chase!

Happy Capturing! Go get those Sunrises!

I have to say, It’s not easy getting early morning sunrise shots if you are a night owl like me, Hahaha.. BUT, I must say, when I have captured such gorgeous morning sunrises, the beauty has been so incredibly worth it!

Capturing the Colors of a morning sky can be so phenomenal. I marvel at natures beauty, and see all the little things she offers. Having a sky with a little bit of clouds is even more interesting! What I do suggest is getting your camera gear ready to go the evening before. Get all your settings set, etc. Be up before the sunrise so you can get it all in! There is just a few precious moments to do it all. As quick as a sunset goes down, the sunrise is coming up just as fast! Each second is completely changing.

I highly suggest taking sunrise shots wherever your heart leads you. I personally love shooting them over water, beaches, etc.

I try to capture them as most pure, and as I see them. Nature itself is so incredible, and so is the Camera… That’s why we all do it right? It’s capturing these Amazing moments!

One of my most favorite sunrise moments was shooting from Catalina Island, Ca. towards Long Beach Ca. I by chance had got up to get a drink of water, and was floored by what I saw, (Actually blinded by the direct light of the peeking Sun, Hahaha!) The Condo I was in faced the Ocean. I had to grab my camera with my new lens - Nikon 18-200mm and shoot!

These photos were so stunning! Even without much editing, there were spectacular scenes with such with amazing colors!

After getting home, I did some post editing and had even more fun with colors! Some of these amazing shots I have on my Greeting Cards Collection. Some shots I had framed, and are always a big hit, well received with happy marveled responses! That makes me feel so great! Many say “What a gorgeous Sunset!” I say -- “Oh no, that is a Sunrise!”

They can’t believe it and are amazed. I am very happy and proud to say it’s a sunrise, all you late birds and night owls can understand why...

I suggest shooting in a high resolution RAW or Fine JPG high resolution. Big reason is you may want to do a large scale canvas or a photo print with some of those amazing shots!

Of course finding a lab, canvas printer or place to print those exact beautiful colors are key.

I can honestly say I love taking sunrise photos, for there is so much that can be captured. From Start to Finish, I don’t

Heidi Horvath Photographer / Author

Amongst owning her own Photo Studio, Heidi is well experienced shooting Rock Stars, Actors, Celebrities, Nature and more. Heidi is also a staff Photographer for 4 online Music magazines, and has had many of her photographs and articles published. - Website

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THEULTIM

CANON EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM

Examine the 100mm F2.8 L IS USM Macro on its native full-frame format, and the results are nothing short of exceptional. It sets a new benchmark in our studio tests, handily outperforming the Olympus Zuiko Digital 50mm F2 Macro.

Again it surpasses the EF 100mm F2.8 USM Macro (which itself is excellent); it’s sharper and has even lower distortion, at the price of a tiny amount of chromatic aberration and a third of a stop more falloff. Very, very impressive indeed.

SHARPNESS Sharpness is exceptional in the center even at F2.8, dropping to merely excellent in the corners. Stop down and things only get better; at the very sharpest apertures (around F6.3) we see results which are nothing short of superb right to the extreme corners.

Stop down further and diffraction progressively softens the image, but apertures down to at least F16 are still perfectly usable; smaller apertures should probably only be used if depth of field is paramount.

MACRO FOCUS The 100mm, as expected, retains its excellent closeup abilities on full frame. Again the measured closest focus is 29cm, giving a 13cm working distance from the front of the lens to the subject.

Central sharpness is extremely high even at F2.8, so much so that stopping down to F8 gives no visible improvement.

Corners are slightly softer at F2.8, but by F5.6 reach the same exceptional level as the center. The image starts to soften visibly at F16; at F32 it’s very soft and low in contrast, so best avoided.

CHROMATIC ABERRATION Chromatic aberration is exceptionally low; there’s a tiny amount of red-cyan fringing detectable, but it’s of little practical significance.

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FALLOFF We consider falloff to start becoming noticeable when the corner illumination falls to more than 1 stop below the center. There’s about 1.7 stops falloff at F2.8, which disappears by F4, and shows a slight asymmetry towards the bottom of the frame (suggesting some physical vignetting by the 5D Mark II’s mirror box).

Overall not much to worry about.

V

MATEFIGHT

SIGMA

S

105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro

This large aperture medium telephoto macro lens offers advanced performance of close-up photography. Sigma’s own proprietary OS (Optical Stabilizer) system enables handheld close-up photography. A Special Low Dispersion (SLD) lens and one high refractive index SLD lens provide excellent correction for all types of aberration and distortion. A floating focusing system moves two different lens groups in the optical path to different positions. This system compensates for astigmatic aberration and spherical aberration and provides extremely high optical performance from infinity to 1:1 Macro.The Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting, providing high contrast images. It is also possible to use this lens with Sigma’s APO TELE CONVERTERS. The HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) ensures quiet and high speed autofocus as well as full-time manual focus capability. This lens features a rounded 9 blade diaphragm creating an attractive blur to the out of focus areas of the image.

SPECIFICATIONS Lens Construction Angle of View Number of Diaphragm Blades Mininum Aperture Minimum Focusing Distance Filter Size (mm) Maximum Magnifications Zoom Ratio Dimensions (Diameter x Length) Weight -

16 Elements in 11 Groups 23.3° 9 f/22 31.2 cm / 12.3” 62mm 1:1 0.15 x 126.4 mm / 3.1in.×5 in 725g / 25.6oz.

OS - Optical Stabilizer Function HSM - Hyper-Sonic Motor EX - EX Lens Nikon mounts do not have an aperture ring. Some functions may not work depending on the camera model. *For Nikon and Canon mounts, Optical Stabilizer (OS) function will not work with film SLR cameras except Nikon F6 and Canon EOS-1V. * When using the APS-C Hood Adapter HA680-01 with digital cameras with larger than APS-C size image sensor, vignetting will occur. Please remove the hood adapter if you are using these cameras.

According to Sigmaphoto.com 23

K C PI FF ST A For More From Kaj: Facebook | 500px | Website

HOME BY KAJ SENNELOV 24 NOTINDOOR

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click here to comment on this photo ->

CAMERA: Canon 5D Mark I • LENS: EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM SETTINGS: 20mm • f/6.3 • 1/25 sec • ISO 100 LOCATION: Leirikari, Rovaniemi, Finland

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THESHININGLIGHTS / Allan Pudlitzke

As the river carves its way through the jagged rock faces, the sun beams through the opening in the tree line. It’s cold, damp, and windy. The water roars downstream as the serene pool cascades into the rocky rapids heading for the falls. With nobody around, aside from my wife and myself, the scene is easy to take in without distraction. This is as wooded as it gets in the Pacific Northwest. From atop the bridge, the view downstream is glorious.

In the summer, kids leap with faith into the deep waters below. They have since I was a kid, and until they build up the rails on the bridge, I doubt they will ever stop. This is Moulton Bridge, a spot for the skippers in high school, a photographer’s delight, and a great spot for relaxation. In the winters the water is high and deep in rich aqua, in the summer it is warm, busy, and bustling with birds and swimmers.

Like a twisting pathway, the water seems to come from nowhere and leads the eye straight to the opening. The bridge crossing frames the scene like an entry way to nature. Photography has given me the opportunity to appreciate the outdoors like I never had before. I would camp, hike, and swim outdoors, but until I put the camera in front of me, I never viewed the scenery like I do now.

Canon 60d with Tokina 12-28mm f/4 12mm, f/13, 1/40 sec, ISO 3200

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GLOWINGFORESTS / Allan Pudlitzke

FREEZINGCOLD / Jevgenija Sitik

There are so many woodland scenes around the Pacific Northwest. Mt. Hood is a great location just east of the Portland Metro area, and has a ton of hiking trails with spectacular scenery.

Freezing weather creates some fantastic opportunities for macro photography. Explore the world in miniature. Cold and freezing nights bring a lot of photographic potential.

When the nights get longer and temperatures are dropping below zero degrees Celsius, the prospect of a magical covering of frost increases. This miracle of nature that coats everything in ice crystals, transforms all of the subjects into something really beautiful. Frosty morning is a really beautiful time. The sky is clear and sunny, the lights are fantastic.

R e a d s

The Pacific Crest Trail, a pathway that makes its way all the way from Mexico up to western Canada, passes right through the area and is pull of historic stopping points such as Timberline Lodge. We found this spot by venturing a bit off trail at a nearby hike. It was secluded, quiet, and glowing with streaks of sunlight during the late afternoon. This area is very lush and green year round.

Canon 50d Tokina 12-28mm f/4 13mm, f/18, 2.0 sec, ISO 100

No matter how trivial, but in the winter you can make great photos,you should take into account a number of features proper in this time of year. Here are a few tips how to have a good photo shoot in the winter time. But one rule has not directly connected with photography, to better describe beginning: Dress up warmly! You can not work in winter time if you freeze in ten minutes or your fingers are frostbitten in few minutes. Get yourself geared up and ready to go out early to catch the best of the frost and light. So if you are dressed for the season, then take the camera and now you can start working. You may not even need to leave your back yard for taking an amazing photos! Just have fun, explore different things and objects. Then you get an amazing photos in your photo gallery.

If you go out with soap bubbles when the temperatures drop below zero degrees Celsius, ice crystals create amazing patterns on the top of the bubble. Each pattern is unique and can be very interesting subject for photography. When the soap bubble freeze -these moments are the most incredible - the bubble is quickly spinning, shimmering like a rainbow and then gradually formed on the walls of bubble snow patterns and ice crystals. These patterns are changing just like a kaleidoscope, until the bubble doesn’t freeze at all.Â

G o o d

This was taken in late fall as the leaves began to transform into golden yellow, orange and red. Mt. Hood is one of the most photographed locations in the Northwest. If you are in the area, there are many great locations to check out including Trillium lake, White River, as well as the charming little ski town called Government Camp. I am fortunate to live in an area that features a variety of scenes within a few hours in all directions. Between beaches, mountains, wetlands, and valleys, there is no shortage of scenery for a landscape photog- What could be more fun than blowing soap bubbles in the rapher and opens a ton of doors for other creative platforms. winter time! Just go out and try...

Bubble / Jevgenija Sitik

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AS L O N G AS IT LONG EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY

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T TAKES

MS.AURORAANDTHECOTTAGE by DAGUR JONSSON | 500px.com/dagurjonsson 29

NORTHERN

LIGHTS INICELAD The northern lights season is one the most wonderful time of the year in Iceland. The season from late September to late March or early April is the time of the year when the nights in the far north are finally dark enough for aurora viewing. And for sure those dancing lights have some flare but they don’t perform on a set schedule, so if you got time while staying in the north it should be on your must do list.

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Dagur Jonsson Photographer/Author

I am a Reykjavik-based self-taught photographer with a passion for shooting the Reykjavik capital area and the unique Icelandic landscape...

Twitter | Facebook | 500px

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You Gotta...

To Photo?

Fight For Your Right...

So before I become the scapegoat of any legal ramifications from our reader’s photography, I would like to clarify that I am not a lawyer, nor a judge, and do not wish to give anyone the perception that I am capable of representing you in a court of law regarding photography… Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get into the nitty-gritty, sometimes questionable rights of photographers and what we can expect. I ended up stumbling upon a great blog that worked in coordination with a legal firm to outline some of the basics in which they titled “The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography.”

So to refrain from violating the most major commandment of literature I am going to be sure to site my sources and refrain from plagiarizing as much of the article as I can. All in all, these are probably sorted out from a variety of internet sources and basically boils down to one point…. Know what is okay, and know how to protect your rights in case of confrontation.

Public Spaces: Most public spaces are fair game, unless they are otherwise posted… This is why you see those celebrities surrounded by the paparazzi after they leave a nightclub at 2 o’clock in the morning. For one the photo is pretty juicy, depending on the condition of the celeb, and two, they are in a public area and that is free reign to fire your shutter button as fast as your whimsical fingers can move.

Photos of Private Property from Public Spaces: Well of course after that celeb makes their way home, what better way than to burn off that hangover laying out by the pool… Well lucky for you, if the property, or the person is visible from a public location, you shouldn’t have any issues taking photos. This is purely just an example, but would also correlate to private buildings, bistros, or even brothels… Well maybe not brothels, but I hope you get the point. My only advice on this is….

Don’t be a Peeping Tom you sickos…

remember, if you are shy and need to pick your nose or something, be sure to get out of the view of the guy with the super telephoto lens…

Challenge Accepted: If you are in public, and happen to be challenged by an unruly subject, you do not need to share your secrets of photography or the reason you are taking a photo of them picking their nose… Unless it is by law enforcement, in that case it is probably better just to cooperate, but if you do get a picture of a police officer piking his nose, it’s probably worth the share, and be sure to tag me so I can see it…

Peeved Security: The rights of a private party are very limited if they attempt to detain you… So when that celebs body guard comes to beat you into submission or attempts to pry your treasured DSLR from your cold, dead fingers, just know they may be liable to criminal prosecution.

Protect Yourself and Your Rights!

If confronted just try and be polite and as courteous as possible. If you aren’t uptight about the project, share what you’re working on, how your photos are helping a cause, or how what you are doing is changing the world… Make sure to keep things diffused and in the worst of scenarios, don’t be afraid to phone your local authorities. Your equipment is yours, and nobody should be able to unlawfully confiscate it from you.

Be sure to document you communications; who you talked to, when you spoke, summarize the situation, and be sure to get contact information if possible.

For a little more information on the subject be sure to check out the blog I found at the link below: http://content.photojojo.com/photo-technique/tips/legal-rights-of-photographers/

Private Property: For giggles, let’s just say you happen to sneak into that celebrity’s backyard… Kudos to you for having the Now get out, get shooting, and get happy. guts, but you’re crazy and definitely trespassing… Nonetheless, in this scenario, or while on sacred private ground, you must Allan Pudlitzke stop taking photos if you are asked or a sign is otherwise postPhotographer ed… My word of advice… Get out before the cops show up…

Living in Northwest my entire life kept Government Property: Plain and simple. Don’t take photos of the nuclear warheads or you’ll probably end up in prison…

Case closed…

People in Public: If you are in public, and not making an effort to seclude yourself your free reign to end up in my memory card. This goes hand in hand with public areas above, so

the fire of traveling burning.

Camping, hiking and sports help my photography skills as I do it part time while being a technology consultant.

Twitter | Facebook | 500px | Website

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MASSACRE by MOSHE LEVIS | 500px.com/moshelevisphotography 35

TIGER

& TURTLE

Often I try a transformation to black and white, which i did with the ’Tiger and Turtle’ picture.

Tiger and Turtle is a sculpture on a small hill in Duisburg.

In the night it is illuminated with thousands of white led.

I used a Canon EOS 5D MII and an EF 70-200mm and taken the picture at 03:41 am with the following settings: Focal Length: 148mm Exposure: 4sec Aperture: f/8 ISO125 Post-processing was made in Lightroom, the black and white transformation i did with Silver Efex Pro from the NIK-Tools.

Bernd Meibner Photographer

Website 500px Facebook Twitter

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BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY

CONVERSION

Purists have and will continue to discuss the merits of black and white photography, even in this age of digital miracles.

Old and new darkroom enthusiasts will rhapsodize over watching an image emerge from a watery bath that perfectly expresses what was in the mind’s eye.

The argument goes something like, black and white isn’t as lifelike because, after all, the real world (for most people) is in color. The composition is more important and lights and shadows capture our attention and define the images more accurately than the impression one is given by differences in hues and saturation of colors. Those who shoot in color says that real world is color and that’s how it should be represented.

adjustment and then save a copy under a new name.”

“As a side note,” says Vorenkamp, “there are many who poopoo different methods of converting from color to black and white digitally, but I honestly believe there is no right or wrong way to do it. An example: Many say you should never just ‘desaturate’ an image. But, if you are the photographer/ artist and you desaturate the image and it looks good to you, then why not use it?”

Taking that discussion to a more finite level means questioning whether you should shoot in black and white or in color and convert to black and white. Part of that discussion is your reason for shooting in black and white. Is it your aesthetic?

Are you entering a photography contest? Are your images being published in black and white in a magazine or book?

Which brings us back to, which is better?

Stan Ruddie / Original

“The easiest answer,” says Todd Vorenkamp, senior creative content writer for B&H Photo in New York, is “if you shoot in color you have much more control over the conversion, even if you use manual adjustments on your camera. You can make a lot more adjustments to the image in post processing on your computer. Unless you’re using a Leica M Monochrome (which promises to “capture authentic ‘true’ black and white digital photographs that ignores color data” and can set you back $7000 or so), your camera sensor sees in color. Even if you tell it to shoot in black and white, it’s going to see color and then convert it.

“Then,” says Vorenkamp, “digital people will tell you to not use auto levels, so you spend three minutes adjusting sliders and the photo looks identical to one that used auto levels.

If you tell the camera to shoot in black and white, you won’t have that control, but you won’t have to go through the extra steps with filters and sliders in post processing.”

Stan Ruddie, a lifelong people photographer, says he can talk about the differences forever. In a nutshell, though, he says, “You can convert to greyscale in almost any editing program, but you will get that grey image with no highlights.” For better success, he says, “When you want to convert to black and white, open the photo in any editing program. Select adjust photo, then channel mixer, then monochrome. You will see three color bars. If you slide one way or the other, you will see color tones change. Finish with a contrast and brightness 38 NOTINDOOR

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Stan Ruddie / Red filter

Judy Colbert Writer

I’m here when you need to transform your thoughts, ideas, and accomplishments into words and images.

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First snow of the year came in like a hurricane, in Zagreb every street was lightly covered by snowflakes just as we entered the new 2016. Croatia as a small country surprisingly has many beauties to show, but this time we find solstice in the snowy forests of Zagreb.

Our latest adventure starts at the main town square of Ban Josip Jelai, where we got of our tram. It was snowing for a few days and we were ready to take that photo we were waiting for to happen for almost a year.

We headed to the upper city in search of higher ground for our photos, but had not much luck.

The best we could find was an old bench, just lonely looking at the town beneath it.

As we were then walking the city walls, one view that struck us as surprised was that no tree was fully covered with snow.

Their naked branches just did not provide enough support.

Obviously we were looking for our wanted photo at the wrong place, so we had to improvise.

Here below we see a photograph that shows us how just a simple walk can make you think that even nature, can sure be „lost in time“...

As we were very far away from the pine forests that could provide us with the view we were actually looking for, we found ourselves observing all the people that were walking the streets of Zagreb, and their reactions to the newly fallen snow. The different looks on their faces told stories for themselves, but in the end everyone was just wondering as we did, how easily does the nature make us think of the white, and black...

Where are the limits in this times of solitude, and how all people are just talking to them42 NOTINDOOR

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selves: „It´s really beautiful outside, do I really mind the snow on my shoes?“ But still, our task was to find that photo. The thing we hadn’t´t thought of was that it was in front of us the whole time, we were just looking at it from the wrong angle.

The lone wanderer that got our attention was just minding his own business, as we all do. Simply walking a straight line between himself and the nature we live in. Showing us how times of change bring us to ourselves, to think. Where just a walk can make you settle all of your thoughts.

This is where our adventure takes rest, as we return happily to our homes, knowing that we got what we wanted out of that walk. The lone wonderer taught us much, and we would like to share his message with you. Maybe we just made it up, but it is clear. Go outside, great things happen when you´re not indoor.

Mateo Bezuh Writer

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PHOTOGRAPHER OF MONTH

THE

a lot about it until Bella came into my life. Bella was my first professional camera and has become an essential part of my life ever since as I kept learning and developing my skills of expressing my ideas through photography.

NI: Why do you really take photos?

JS: Photography is one more tool, to expressing my point of view and convey my ideas and understanding of the world to other people. I like the power it gives me, to capture single moments, and keep them for eternity. These moments I can then modify, showing different meaning of the same situation, hence creating alternative or parallel universes and hear the music of the frame.

My focus has been on the urban landscape. Due to my love for architecture, I like to view how the city as a living organism, shaped by the urbane structure. This structure influences the life of all people and consequently shapes them and their behavior.

JuliaShlomenzon This month, our photographer of the month is a very talented young woman from Israel. This is Julia...

Get to Know Julia

NI: Can you please tell us a little about yourself?

JS: I’m Julia I’m 27 years old and live in Israel. I was born in Kazakhstan and my family came to Israel when I was 3 years old. I love to dance and I have always been a dancer, just as I have always been sensitive to arts. Ever since I was little I had passion for arts, aesthetics and the beauty of the dialogs that can be created when you express yourself through art. Following this passion has brought me to study architecture, a form of art that surrounds us every day and that influences our lives in so many ways.

Julia’s Photography Journey

NI: When did your photography journey really start?

JS: During my service at the IDF I worked as a graphic designer, which required me to work a lot with photographers.

It was the first time that I was confronted with professional photographers.

NI: Do you take photos more for your own sake or for others?

JS: I’m taking photos mainly for myself as I enjoy this form of art, but I also find pleasure in the fact that people enjoy or draw inspiration from my photographs.

Let’s Talk About Gear

NI: What kind of gear do you use?

JS: Bella is a beautiful Canon 60D with a Tamron 17-50mm optic lens, and if required gets equipped with a Canon speed-lite 430E flash to brighten our day.

NI: When you travel, what do you take with you? Why? JS: I’m traveling only with Bella as she is the only gear I have for now. Recently the increasing quality of cameras integrated in cellphones, has caused a bit of distress in our relationship, as I started taking many pictures with the cellphone which is always with me. This allows me to capture unexpected moments when they happen. As the photographer has no control over the scene, but merely observes it and tries to capture the beauty of the moment, timing is of fundamental importance for the photographer to puts his talent to work and show the world and its people as he experiences them.

NI: What is your favorite lens? Why? JS: As I only have one lens, all I can say is that I’m happy with the Tamron 17-50mm lens that I use. It’s has worked nicely for my photos because of its wide opening.

NI: When did you start taking photography more seriously?

JS: The work at the army sparked my curiosity about photography, and for the following couple of years I read and learned 44 NOTINDOOR

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Inspiration Is Important Too

NI: Who’s work has influenced you most?

JS: The Israeli photographer Ziv Koren. I liked his frames and his point of view in his pictures. I have been to few of his lectures and mostly I’m inspired from his way of processing his projects and his motivation to taking the frame/scene as he imagines it before.

NI: Who are some of your favorite classic photographers, and how did they influence you?

JS: The classic photographers that influence me are Robert Capa and Henri Cartier Bresson. They mainly influence me by telling their stories through the pictures. They are not only taking a picture, they capture a moment from a story. So when you look at the picture you can actually visualize the story. Basically every person that looks in their picture can visualize a different story. It makes you ponder about the story behind it.

This is the main reason they had influenced me, because this is the kind of photos that I’m taking - something that tells a story, freezes a moment in time.

NI: How does black and white vs color play into your work?

Do you find them to be totally separate beasts—or complementary?

JS: When I’m taking the picture, especially when I’m coming from the background of architecture, I have the sensitivity for 46 NOTINDOOR

the game-play between the lights and the shades. When I’m taking pictures I always try to find compositions of the light and how its plays a roll in the frame.

Especially when I want to enhance it and put a focus on it so I will use the BW option because it’s more vivid.

NI: What do you think are some clichés in photography you steer away from yourself?

JS: In my opinion, each of one of the photographers are individuals, they have their own background and point of view so I don’t think there is something clichés or not to steer away from myself because every photographer express him self in a different way.

Let’s Talk Shop

NI: In the field, what are your most used camera settings?

JS: I use Manual setting while mostly I like to taking photos with f/2.8 (the max in my lens) and balancing the light.

NI: What kind of tools do you use for post processing?

JS: My goal is to keep the picture as close to the reality, naturally and originally as possible, so I mainly play a little bit with contrast, exposure and levels.

Especially when I’m taking photos with my camera and not with my phone so I keep it as originally as possible NI: Do you prefer Photoshop or Lightroom? Or maybe some other software?

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JS: When I started I used to work only with Photoshop because of the higher sensitivity and more variety of levels options but in the past year I started working with the Lightroom because it is more comfortable to use.

NI: How has social media played a role in your photography?

JS: I’m not sure if social media played a role in my photography. I mainly use my Instagram account to share a sort of journal from my everyday life and it contains pictures that I took with my phone.

The photos from my camera I upload only to my web site and to my Flickr account.

As it happened, with the posts, my Instagram account had helped to establish the fact and acknowledgment that I’m a photographer and I have an artistic way of looking the composition of the pictures, despite the fact that these pictures are not taken with my camera, and that these are not quality photos.

versus projects?

JS: It is interesting to see the way that the photographer goes through during the project- the development, the evolution and also the verity of the pictures throughout his project.

While working on single images you can see the story behind each one of the pictures but they will not be calibrated. Its individual and it depends on the theme and the project.

NI: What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?

JS: The mainly one of the thing I wish I knew is to handle the technical side of the camera so when I want to reach the full potential of the picture that I’m taking, I will be able to use all the functions that the camera has to offer me. And since I didn’t study it professionally, I keep discovering it on the way when I’m using the help of my friends to find out the additional options.

NI: Among your works, which one is your favorite? Why? JS: It’s a hard question to answer so I would say that it was NI: When you are out shooting—how much of it is instinctual probably the picture that was exhibited in the Street art phoversus planned? tography exhibition in Jaffa. I called this picture “Working 9 JS: It’s only instinctual because when I see something I need to 5”. This picture I took in Milan during the design week to be prepared to capture it. I’m not planning to capture a Salone de mobile. This photo shows the busy afternoon hours moment. The moment just happens and if I ready and lucky I in the metro. My point of view that shows in that photo is can capture it. that I capture it from the metal ceiling of the metro. It was interesting to see the wondering faces of the people that saw NI: What are your thoughts on working on single images this picture and didn’t understand how I captured it.

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NI: What projects/ideas you have going on now?

JS: Now I’m working on “the Yellow Section” section. The inspiration of this project was from the movies of the director Wes Anderson. I keep finding the yellow color in a variety of situations whether its artificial light, natural light, other objects surrounding, or when it’s a good composition of the color in the frame. I believe the yellow color adds a good energy to the picture.

Also I’m working on a project of the architecture school where I’m studying. {Ariel University, Israel} I’m documenting the student’s life as an architect to be.

NI: How do you educate yourself to take better pictures?

JS: Mostly I like to go to lectures of photographers and exhibitions of photography.

Also I like to read blogs of photographers and to be inspired by the work of others through Pinterest or Instagram.

Tips For Our Readers

NI: What are your thoughts and feelings about shooting individually (versus shooting with a friend or small group of friends)?

JS: I mainly like taking pictures when I am alone or sometimes with a one of my friends who are photographers or with my boyfriend, But not with a group because I like to go on my own. The reason for this is that when I’m taking pictures I like to take the time to explore the moment I wish to capture, and if I’m with a group of friends I don’t want for them to stay behind because of me and I so I lack the time I need to capture what I see.

NI: What are some other tips/advice you would give to yourself if you started photography all over again?

JS: Always develop myself of learning and maybe to take some professional technical course so this won’t be my struggle and I will have more options to use once I started.

NI: What do you want your viewers to take away from your work?

JS: Since I mainly take pictures of the human life, I want the viewers also to take the sensitivity and the fact there is a story behind my works. I have when I look through 48 NOTINDOOR

my camera.

NI: What is one question nobody has ever asked you—that you wish they did?

JS: Maybe if I can plan urbane spaces or architecture through the frames that I would like to capture. I like to challenge myself so the answer will be yes.

Website: www.jshlomenzon.wix.com/julia-shlomenzon Instagram: julia_shlomenzon Facebook: Julia Shlomenzon Flickr: Julia Shlomenzon www.notindoor.com

Are you going to be our next Photographer of the Month?

Submit your short bio and we’ll contact you.

Submit here ->

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WOW!WHAT

by Allan Pudlitzke

A

Photo courtesy of Nikon

At the beginning of the year Nikon announced a new powerhouse. The D5, Nikon’s new FX format, full frame monster features plenty to be excited about if you are a serious photographer, equipment junkie, or just a plain pro. A superb low light performer, that shoots 4k video, fires away at 12 FPS, what else could you want? Well if you are still looking for more, it features a refined, intelligent AF system for tracking movement. With the next gen Expeed 5 processor and a boosted 20.8 megapixels, the D5 becomes the highest resolution, full frame flagship Nikon has ever released. The new AF system features 153 focus points, 99 cross-type sensors and a dedicated AF processor. With a host of additional add-ons as well as built in features, the D5 looks to raise the playing field for both photo and video shooting with a DSLR.

Primary Features:

For more information on the Nikon D5 and to compare how it stacks up check out the link below!

1. Next-generation Intelligent AF System with 2. High-speed continuous shooting at approx. 12 fps with swift subject tracking 3. Exceptional ISO sensitivity 4. Cinematic brilliance with 4K UHD (30p) movie capability 5. Improved functionality and streamlined work-flows. a. A high-resolution 3.2-in., approx. 2,359k-dot touch screen LCD monitor b. Connect through wired and wireless networks with the addition of the Wireless Transmitter. c. Versatile image storage options supporting XQD and Compact Flash 6. Accessories for high-speed connected convenience: WT-6/A/B/C Wireless Transmitter (available separate-

ly) http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/dslr-cameras/d5.html

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BODY Photo courtesy of Nikon

As the apparent successor to the D300, Nikon recently anPrimary Features: nounced the D500 with plenty features to boast. Staying true to the DX format line, Nikon has created an accesso1.20.9MP DX format CMOS sensor and EXPEED 5 image ry packed, agile, and powerful crop sensor body powerful processor enough for pros yet functional for your traditional enthusiast.

2.Multi-CAM 20K Auto-focus sensor with 153/99 AF Nikon states improves low light performance, built-in WIFI points and Bluetooth features, as well as a pumped up processor.

3.ISO range of 100-51,200 expandable to Lo 1 and Hi 5 Toss in the ability to shoot 4k videos and it looks like Nikon (50 – 1,640,000 equivalent) has made efforts to try and clean up the playing filed with this 4.Share images instantly with built-in SnapBridge (Wi-FiŽ mid to high-end tiered DSLR. Additionally, the 10 FPS high + Bluetooth) capabilities speed shooting makes this a great all around carry. Whether 5.Shoot cinematic 4K UHD video you want to go out and shoot the kids soccer match, take a 6.Dual card slots - XQD and SD media few landscapes, or even really bear down and take some wildlife photos, the D500 appears to be a really great all-around camera for any occasion.

For more information on the D500 and how it compares to the rest in the Nikon lineup, be sure to check out: http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/dslr-cameras/d500.html

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PORTFOLIO IONUT CARAS My mane is Caras Ionut and I’m a family man.

I’m almost 38 years old, married and have a little angel, Ioana. She’s almost 4 and half years old. Beside all this, I’m a simple man, who loves his family and life and I’m grateful for what God gave me untill present days. I Love traveling. In real life I do crazy things, like talking to strangers like I know them already, be funny everywhere I go, dance and scream in the streets...

I don’t have problems expressing myself in the public.

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500px Facebook Page Website

My education level is quite low. I have finished only high school, nothing special, just so I won’t be the last idiot. I’m working from almost when I was12 and I have done a lot of things in my life, like wood finisher, construction, daily random jobs, seller...

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PHO

STO

Aereal photos from italian and switzerland ALPS / Roberto Sysa Moiola

Roberto Sysa Moiola Photographer / Author

Born in Morbegno (SO), in Valtellina, in 1978, where he still lives surrounded by his beloved Alps. Professional freelance photographer since 2000, he works with the main magazines...

Website | 500x | Facebook | Twitter | G+

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GET

UPNOTINDOOR

AND SHOOT

Welcome to NOTINDOOR’S Monthly Workshop

From the beginning, when NOTINDOOR was just in the planning process, one of the main things we wanted is to help photographers improve their skills and teach photography enthusiasts how to shoot amazing photos and get out of the camera mode that most people use - Auto Mode.

In order for this workshop to be efficient we don’t want to just start with something right off the bat, instead we thought it would be more useful and meaningful if our readers choose and submit a few things they would want to improve in, learn new techniques, workflow etc.

What to Submit 1. Photos you would like us to recreate 2. Links to an image you’ve seen online 3. Questions regarding your camera 4. Questions regarding camera settings 5. Questions regarding lights 6. Questions regarding locations 7. Any questions you need answered How to Submit We’ve made the submission process as easy as possible, so all you have to do is click the button below. This magic button will let you email us what you’ll want to learn.

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LIVING

SMALL

PHOTOBY: Moshe Levis CAMERA: Pentax k-r LENS: Pentax 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 kit lens FOCALLENGTH: 18mm APERTURE: f/3.5 (reverse ring) SHUTTERSPEED: 1/180 sec ISO: 400 64 NOTINDOOR

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The Unseen

Flowers Around

Us

I started working on flowers as a subject of photography just a few years ago. I had just left working on high risk information systems projects as a project manager due to health issues in my family and decided to spend time working on photography as my situation allowed.

I had not done any photographic work for decades. When last I produced images, dark rooms and bulk film loaders were requirements.

I secured a Nikon D7100 and a 55-300mm zoom lens, some software for post process, and a good printer...and I started off.

The Evolution to Flowers I took pictures of everything. Hundreds of shots. Perhaps thousands. Some were okay. Most were not. My venues were limited as was my time.

I started posting what I thought were my better shots and got limited feedback that indicted that my work was average at best. Meanwhile, due to the health issues, we began to receive flowers.

Now, most of us like flowers, in a general way. They are, after all, pretty. I liked flowers as well, but never really thought of them much. They were just something we planted next to the vegetables and hoped would come up.

I started to really look at the flowers we were receiving. Some seemed cheerful, some sad, some formal, some even flippant.

I started to take some shots of the bouquets. In the process, I realized that I never had really seen flowers before. They had been background.

I began to try taking photographs that showed these moods.

The feedback to my posts began to improve. I invested in macro lenses. I continued to take hundreds of shots. However, now more were okay and some were received very well.

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I now use three different macro lenses (40mm, 85mm, and 105mm).

Your Passion

Hints and Tips

The Message

Your best work may not be the most popular work.

The pieces I have been most passionate about have frequently Soon I found that most of my subjects were flowers. not been the most popular. If you are posting your photographs, the ones with the most votes, likes, or favors, are not Why Flowers? likely to be the ones you are happiest with. If you think popuFor me, first was availability. I live in Milwaukee, WI, an larity and quality are the same thing, just think about current urban area, and have limited time. The Milwaukee metro area trends and fads. Quality is not popularity. is filled with parks. This includes the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory and the Boerner Botanical Garden. We Composition and Subject Isolation have also established a small urban garden at our apartment Composition and subject isolation are important. Read up complex. on composition. Isolation of the subject can be achieved by depth of field, background/foreground contrast, lighting, etc.

Second, was my seeing messages in how flowers grew, positioned, and varied with the light and seasons. The variation When shooting flowers, consider what your actual subject is. was tremendous.

It frequently is not the flower itself. It is rather the aspects of the flower you want to emphasis. For me, it is often the emoThird on my list was that during the Winter and early Spring, tion the flower embodies.

I could still find flowers at the Mitchell Domes or simply buy some at the local grocery store.

Bigger is not Necessarily Better Much of this work is macro work. As such, it is easy to get Last, through my work with them, I became passionate about initially overtaken by the novelty of magnified detail. I rapidly them. discovered that a magnified weakly composed shot was just that. Macro, for me, is a tool, not an objective.

I learned some lessons in this journey. Many of these are important no matter what your subject.

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I believe all good photography captures messages. When shooting or post processing, consider the message you are

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trying to convey. My best work is easy to title. That said, sometimes a bouquet is a bouquet and an Autumn bloom is an Autumn bloom. However, I believe even these are trying to convey the experience of each.

I have enjoyed my journey with flowers and look forward to where it will lead next.

Thomas Jerger Photographer / Author

I have received a lot of good feedback since I joined 500px a year ago, when I returned to photography.....mostly from votes or a lack of votes. This has definitely helped me improve my work.

Facebook Page | 500px

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Journeyto

Macro of

Food

Food is an obsession. Every aspect of creating and photographing food is amazing. Actually it is a balance between creativity and originality. You can see it everywhere; in advertisement, magazines, cookery books and in restaurant menus.

Even a minor raw material to a simple prop could have something to contribute. I feel incomplete if I didn’t include the upbringing of a dish in images. So usually I go with wider aspects. But how can one avoid macro food photography? They are so gastronomical and magical.

In macro photography the size of the subject on the sensor will be life size or greater. Food photos can be taken with normal, wide angle lenses. But macro photos are needed when more details are required.

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The economical ways to get macro photos are using reverse lens adapter, close-up filters and extension tubes. Macro lenses are expensive but give more professional feel. They can focus on every fine details and it is the best way to lead attention to texture of food.

The first hurdle I had to overcome was to term my eyes to super detailed level. I went through macro images of famous food photographers like Francesco Tonelli, Adriana Mullen etc. Then I shot number of photos and compared them to get accustomed. One of such earlier images was that of budding mangoes.

85 to 100 mm lens are optimum for macro photos. You can attain very nice shallow depth of field using these lenses even at high f values.

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Intensity of light and shutter speed was other two aspects I struggled with. When you get close to the subject, make sure that enough light is available. Even small amount of shake can also make out in the image. So currently I prefer a steady tripod.

Even if macro images bring out intricacies, it can also hide some details and push the viewer to unfamiliar zones. This perplexity is interesting and magical. For such an attempt once I pointed 100mm lens to a bunch of unripe bananas. It helped me to mask the usual outline of bananas and pullout an abstract look. And these days I am more into this puzzle.

A macro lens can fill up the frame with the subject. But it will not guarantee a perfect image. First look out for the purpose of photograph. Think twice about composition; be cautious

about light and stability of your gear. Then practice, practice and practice.

Indu M Photographer

Though I express myself through painting and writing, photography is the most comfortable medium for me.

I am drawn to anything under the sun and enjoy the thought process behind creating each image.

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infrared

IR PORTFOLIO - G November 2015, for one week , I visited, one of the most incredible ancient cities in the world. It is still beautiful and the temperature was around 18C, degrees during the day.

There were some clouds that contrasted well with the sky.

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GIRARDET KARL

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As I had my infrared equipment with me, I decided to take a series of images.

It wasn’t the best time, but you’ll see the results. I used my Canon EOS 7D amended 590nm, a filter 720nm and a 18-55mm lens

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URS IN

LAND

by Sebastian Degardin

Sebastian Degardin Photographer

I like nature, the dramatic, the rugged and the bare landscape! I feel at home in the mountains and on the rock. I like to be as creative as possible in everything I do.

Website | 500px | Facebook | t

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Skogafoss, Iceland

Iceland had been on my list of locations to visit for a very long time. Early this year, when I decided to make the transition from commercial and beauty to outdoor and wildlife photography, I immediately booked a trip to this amazing place. It is only a 3-hour flight from London, and the prices are very reasonable.

Ed, a good friend of mine decided to join me for the adventure. I like to share the excitement of going to new places and seeing how another photographer approaches the same location or subject can be very interesting.

We had three days to travel south, from Reykjavik, the most populated and capital city of Iceland, to Jokulsarlon, a large glacial lake situated in the Breiรฐamerkurjรถkull glacier in the south east of the island.

As we landed very late at night, we spent the first night in Reykjavik and started our journey the next morning. We picked up our 4x4 rental car and set off to our first location, Skogafoss, a waterfall situated on the Skoda River, 2 hours drive from our starting point.

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I was really excited to play with my newly bought Lee filter kit. The “big stopper” was my filter of choice for this location.

It is a ten stops neutral density filter, which turns a one second exposure into a 16-minute exposure. In my case I had to limit the shutter speed to 30 seconds because I did not know how to set my camera into bulb mode! A slight drizzle proved challenging in terms of keeping the front of the camera clean, especially for long exposures.

We arrived early enough to find the place quiet but it quickly started to fill up with tourists. We decided to pack our kits and head out to our second location, the famous wreck of a US Navy DC-3 situated in the black beach at Sólheimasandur where the aircraft had crash landed in 1973 after running out of fuel. The site is not signposted and therefore gets less attention from everyday tourists. We left the main road and drove on to a bumpy track for 15 minutes before reaching the old plane. As we had predicted, the place was nearly empty when we arrived and once the other two photographers left we had the whole place to ourselves.

I decided to stick with the big stopper to smooth out the clouds and I added a hard graduated 1.2 ND (3 stops) to darken the sky and compensate for the black sand. This location has already been photographed to death but as David

Duchemin says, “ It is not what you photograph that is cliché but the way you photograph it.” We stayed there for nearly two hours playing with different compositions and light conditions before going back to the car to start our long drive to Jokulsarlon.

problem. Finding out how to set my camera into bulb mode wasn’t going to be useful after all.

Ice and snow are very bright! Well, that will not come as a surprise to most of you. Seriously, it is very important to keep that in mind, as the built-in light meter of most cameras will calculate the exposure in order to get it to look middle gray.

All your images will be underexposed if you fail to take it into consideration when calculating your exposure. I am a big fan of ETTR (Expose To The Right), so I had to push it a bit more than I usually do in order to get maximum information and best signal to noise ratio. I sometimes use my Color Checker Password to calculate my exposure. The histogram is a lot more reliable than the preview image generated by the camera.

My main inspirations throughout the trip were the natural serenity and beauty of Iceland, our impact as human beings on The last stretch of the journey was long and in the dark. It this planet as well as nature’s ability to reclaim land whenever was November and days are very short at that time of year. she decides to do so. On the gear side, I have used a Gitzo Driving in Iceland is both safe and easy with road 1 being the Systematic tripod with a Markins ballhead, a Canon 16-35mm one and only big road. Icelanders are very friendly, welcoming L f2.8 II and a Canon 24-105mm L f4 with a Canon 5D MK3 and everyone we met through this trip spoke perfect English. and a cable release. I am very pleased with the images and I My alarm clock went off at 5a.m. the next day. Any serious cannot wait for my next Icelandic adventure. Yes, I do like the landscape or nature photographer only knows too well the cold. importance of waking up early. After buying petrol from a farmer to avoid any unpleasant surprises, we arrived at our There is plenty more to see in Iceland and I plan to go back location and started scouting. sometime in January to catch the northern lights and in late March to capture the puffins, before I start organising workThe glacier lagoon is a magical place that really looks like shops and expeditions for other photographers.

Greenland or the Arctic. Massive icebergs float like pieces of art. I tried a few long exposures but soon realised that the icebergs constantly move and that a long exposure would be a 81

Put It In Places

Photo storage options for the tech savvy (and not so tech savvy) Let’s face it: determining how you are going to store your photo files is about as sexy a topic as discussing dental hygiene procedures. Yet, as necessary as it is to place and maneuver that thin wax floss between your teeth every night, it’s just as crucial to have secure, reliable storage and backup options for all your digital photos. After all, these precious moments need to be preserved. (That’s why we photograph, isn’t it?) So let’s preserve that precious data!

Technophobes, stay tuned: this article is just as much for you as it is the home network hobbyists and would-be Unix admins turned photojournalists. Additionally, this article will be focused primarily for Mac users (some apology to the Microsoft purists), with the caveat that storage and backup of photos is critical regardless of the computing platform you use to support your digital photography.

on, shall we?

To enable Time Machine, visit the Utilities file section of your Mac. (From Finder, click Go >Utilities > Time Machine or from System Preferences, click on Time Machine.) Click the toggle to the ON position.

Now it’s time to select a backup disk, which leads us conveniently to our three recommended storage tiers.

FOR THE TECHNOPHOBE: AIRPORT TIME CAPSULE

We’ve broken down our digital image storage into three tiers: a tier for the not-so-tech savvy, a tier for the power users out there, and a nicely balanced tier for the computer in-betweeners. First, a quick word about an important utility found on all of today’s Macs: Time Machine.

TIME MACHINE: YOUR FILES, BACK TO THE FUTURE

Apple’s Airport Time Capsule combines a reliable 802.11ac wireless router with a network attached storage device that has the capacity to backup a lifetime of photos (seriously – 2 terabytes is a LOT of photos).

While the $299 price tag from the Apple store may seem a bit hefty, setup is a breeze and you’ll be ready to be back shooting digital memories in no time with primary and secondary copies of your photos.

Ingredients Time Machine, enabled Apple’s Airport Time Capsule – 2 TB size For the budget conscious: an external USB drive (substituted for Time Capsule) Time Machine is Apple’s built-in backup and restore utility introduced with the release of Mac OS 10.5 Leopard. This important utility allows you to back up your Mac and its files to an external backup device, or even partition a backup drive within the Mac itself (though this serves no purpose if your Mac’s drive goes kaput, this may be useful if you accidentally delete a photo or two). The external backup device can be any external hard drive connected directly to your Mac via USB, FireWire, or Thunderbolt connection. Or (and preferably), Time Machine can be configured to backup to a storage device connected directly on your home network, attached to your home router via Ethernet cable.

There’s just one teeny, tiny, critical catch: Time Machine is utterly useless if you don’t turn it on.

Instructions Connect your modem to the Ethernet WAN port of the Airport Time Capsule. Connect power to the Airport Time Capsule. Follow instructions for the Time Capsule Setup Assistant on your Mac. Select Airport Time Capsule as your backup device in Time Machine.

VOILA! Want added storage redundancy? Combine Airport TimeCapsule with storing copies of your photos in an iCloud Drive account (plans start at 99 cents a month for 50 GB of storage).

FOR THE STORAGE ENTHUSIAST: NAS DEVICE WITH OFFSITE STORAGE

Seems simple, right? Except there are plenty of photophiles out there who don’t think about Time Machine… until it’s too late. So let’s turn it Make no mistake: Apple’s Airport Time Capsule is an incredible storage 82 NOTINDOOR

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appliance for your home network. Yet, for those who seek a little more customization and don’t mind doing a little shopping around, going for a quality NAS device, handpicked HDDs or SSDs with great capacity and speed, and cloud storage/backup may be the right move. Combining the reliability of network storage with cloud storage is an ideal backup strategy: 3 copies of your photos (Mac, NAS, and cloud), 2 backup locations (NAS and cloud), 1 backup offsite (cloud). This is often known as the 3-2-1 backup strategy and is a common starting point in business backup and restore plans. For digital photographers who need more control and have more invested in their photography, this may be the ideal option.

Ingredients Time Machine, enabled Network Attached Storage device (Synology, Netgear ReadyNAS, QNAP, and Drobo are quality brands) 2 or 4 hard drives (HDD or SSD) Cloud backup solution (Code42’s Crashplan, Backblaze, and Carbonite are recommended) Instructions Configure either RAID 1 (2 drives) or RAID 10 (4 drives) on your NAS device. In a nutshell, this allows your drives effectively mirror your data across all drives, further protecting your digital photos from hard drive failure. RAIDs have been configured millions of times and since these steps are beyond the scope of this article, we recommend Google research on configuring your chosen RAID on your chosen NAS (additionally, consult your NAS device’s online documentation or manual).

After RAID, follow your chosen NAS device’s instructions on setting up home network. This can be as simple as connecting the NAS via Ethernet to your router and mounting the NAS hard drives on your Mac, but always consult the manuals to be safe. In particular, check for info on backing up to NAS using Time Machine. From here, you can integrate your cloud backup solution to backup your NAS on a scheduled basis (we recommend weekly for the casual photo-snapper or nightly for the digital picture pro), or even manually copy over files to a cloud drive such as Google Drive, iCloud, or Microsoft OneDrive.

With your primary photos on your Mac, your local backups on your RAID-configured NAS, and your offsite backups in the cloud, you can point and shoot with confidence that your photos are protected against theft, accidents, or disaster.

NOTE: Out of the box, Apple does not support backup and restore to/ from an SMB share, which is what you would be doing here. There are numerous tech articles documenting the steps to set up your home server with Time Machine (including creating the required “sparse image” on the server via Mac), but consider using the open source solution Bacula as an alternative. If you opt against Bacula, restore of lost data would entail reinstallation of Mac OS and Apple’s Migration Assistant (instead of a direct restore via Time Machine).

Ingredients Spare tower PC with SATA or SCSI connections for more than one hard drive At least two hard drives (to configure RAID) Your favorite Debian-based version of Linux (Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, CentOS, Red Hat, or SUSE) Samba version 4.2 or later Bacula 7.0 or later (optional but recommended) Cloud backup solution (Code42’s Crashplan, Backblaze, and Carbonite are recommended) Instructions A full tutorial of building a Samba server plus onsite and offsite backup configuration is way beyond the scope of this article. Additionally, the Linux and Open Source communities are well known for their excellent documentation, knowledge bases, and wikis. Getting to them requires a bit of Googling, but in the meantime here is a bird’s-eye-view of the setup: • Physical install of drives on PC • Configure drives for RAID • Install your Linux OS flavor of choice • Install Samba • Edit /etc/samba.conf file with your Linux text editor of choice • (If desired) Install required Bacula components and follow configu ration via bacula.org documentation • Mount SMB on Mac, plus sparse image (for Time Machine) • Configure offsite backup to Samba server

BACKUPS ARE FOR EVERYONE Just as our dentists remind us of the vital importance of daily brushing and flossing, so equally critical to our work’s health is the backup and restoration of our precious data. This is a must for all of us living in the digital age using computers and computer technology to perform our work. Whether you choose the plug-and-play way, the custom-built way, or a solution in between, there is a backup strategy for all of us. Make it part of your routine.

Mark is an experienced IT professional with proficiencies in a variety of areas. For more on Mark and what he has experience in, be sure to stop in and check out his SpiceWorks profile at the link below http://community.spiceworks.com/people/markvadams

Mark Adams Writer

Though

FOR THE TECH NERDS: CUSTOM-BUILT FILE SERVER WITH OFFSITE BACKUP If you are extremely tech savvy, have a passion for technology, and time to invest, you can build your own custom backup and restore system, potentially saving money compared to pre-built technologies. For the geekiest among us, why buy a NAS… when we can configure one with an old computer and Linux!

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Squiver.com Ryan Dyar & the Dream Team Interview by Allan Pudlitzke

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Ryan Dyar, a Seattle based landscape juggernaut stopped in to give us a bit of information on a photography project he has teamed up on. The team features a dream-team cast of traveling photographers such as Marsel Van Oosten, Daniellla Sibbing, Greg Du Toit ,as well as Ryan himself. In our Q & A session below, Ryan gives us a great rundown of what the project is all

about and how he and Marsel ended up crossing paths.

AP: So tell us about Squiver, what are the teams ultimate goals for the project?

RD: For starters, thanks for taking the time to feature little ol’ me here. I appreciate it!

Squiver is Marsel and Daniella’s business. Between his insane photography and her talents in video production, they’ve built a brand that is one of the most respected in the industry. They lead some of the most well put together photography tours all over the world.

AP: How was it this cast of marvelous photographers got together? Any back history with your other team members?

RD: That was all Marsel and Daniella’s doing. They’ve been at it for well over a decade and were the first to ever lead photography tours to of these places, like Namibia for example. As business has grown over the years, they decided to bring on a couple of us to help lead some of the tours. I was just lucky enough to be asked! It feels like getting a chance at playing one on one with Jordan… but with cameras… and in Africa.

AP: What is your favorite part about working with Marsel, Daniella, Greg, and all others involved?

RD: Honestly, it’s not quite sunk in yet that I am getting to 86 NOTINDOOR

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work with one of my idols, Marsel. That’s got to be my favorite part, the honor of people a part of such a great group of shooters.

Getting to travel to Africa to shoot and help teach and guide other photographers is simply amazing. Teaching photography is a huge passion for me, and I’m still shocked that this is what I get to do for a living.

AP: Anything exciting on the horizon for Squiver.com?

RD: The same as always, leading the best photography tours in the world and giving clients more than their money’s worth. We do everything in our power to ensure everyone comes home with not only epic images, but having learned and grown along the way.

AP: What is the biggest piece of advice you can give to beginner and enthusiast outdoor photographers? Something you wish you would have known when starting out?

RD: When I was just getting into photography about 11 years ago, I thought you needed to have the best camera, best lenses, latest gadgets, etc. I thought dumping money into it would and then just get out there. The money is better spent on gas make me a better photographer. Holy crap, was I wrong. No during a photography trip than it is on a $500 circular polarcamera body can teach you how to compose. No new filter, tripod, or lens can show you how to manage light, find proper izer. exposure manually, or process well.

AP: Anything else you can think of that might be beneficial I’m currently using a d800e and a d610 with some nice glass, for our readers to know about Squiver? sure… but some of my best photos were taken with a piece of RD: Just that if you’re looking for some of the best photographers in the world to show you some of the most beautiful crap Canon 5d that was barely working. So I guess my adplaces in the world, with luxury accommodations along the vice would be to invest more in learning instead of the latest way, check out the site. gear. Read books, watch tutorials, study the work of others,

www.ryandyarphotography.com www.500px.com/ryandyar www.flickr.com/ryandyar www.facebook.com/ryandyarphotography Instagram @ryandyar I’m also working with my good friends over at LofotenTours. com to lead the best tours available to arctic Norway.

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Patricia Bates

Photographer / Writer

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A Year In

The Munchenstein

Forest

by Patricia Bates

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NURTURING NATURE W h y

I t

M a t t e r s

Munchenstein Forest: Connecting to the source at the age of knowledge and technology As our cities continue to grow and expand, modern technology connects us instantly to each other around the globe and social media amuses and entertains while constantly pressures us in endless forms of novelties, trends and fashions, the human spirit has not changed. It remains the same as our ancestors were hundreds of thousands of years ago.

As humans we crave for nature, even when we think we don’t need it anymore.

Loneliness is a common disease in the big cities. Bush people never feel lonely because even if they are in nature alone they feel connected with all of the world.

Natural areas surrounding the cities are rapidly diminishing.

Even in an affluent country such as Switzerland, a small patch of protected forest in Munchenstein, near Basel is under increasing management and economic pressure for the exploitation of resources.

Yet this is the home to innumerous secretive creatures that live an unseen wild life among us and it is the place we go to reconnect to our true nature, remain healthy and find inspiration.

Basel, the second largest city in Switzerland and an important center of the pharmaceutical industry.

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A modern city with plenty of entertainment to offer.

Small patches of forest stretch across the rolling hills in the outskirts of Basel. continue on page 92

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The forest in the small town of MuĚˆnchenstein offers city

y dwellers a place to exercise and connect with nature

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In silence it’s possible to meet the secretive inhabitants of the forest.

The top of the Predigerholtz hill is a stopover for herons.

On a winter Monday morning a couple enjoys the forest amidst a spectacle of shadows and light.

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Early spring brings freshness and colors .

The Crucus announces the beginning of spring.

The warmth of the summer sun allows for a variety of flowers both wild and cultivated to grow at the top of the hill in the forest.

The forest receives migratory birds that arrive during the summer months.

A pond in the forest is the nursery for the new generation of Swiss White frogs born each spring. continue on page 96

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As autumn sets in a variety of mushrooms pop out in the MuĚˆnchenstein forest.

But the future of the forest is uncertain and hangs in the balance as heavy management and exploitation of its natural resources increases each year.

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Signs written “undisturbed wild zone� are seem in many places in the forest; however, logging, noise and pollution increase each year.

A cut tree left on the walking path.

As logging progresses heavy machinery and workers are a common scene to be seen each day.

The few deers and wild pigs inhabiting the forest are extremely rare to be seen, however, hunting is still permitted and widely practiced.

Twilight Throughout the evolution of the planet and of mankind on earth, nature has proven to be wise on how to take care of itself. Perhaps all it needs to thrive is just to be left on it own so that it is still there to be seen and enjoyed by the future generations to come.

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FLY

WITH THE

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S

photo by Steven Servantez 99

Photographing Birds

In Flight

by Steven Servantez

Photographing birds in flight can be challenging. From slow flying cranes to darting hummingbirds, all require different techniques to guarantee success.

The more you know about a species behavior and habits, the more successful you’ll be at capturing its movements in flight.

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I frequently use a sturdy tripod with a gimbal head. The tripod not only provides support for my camera and telephoto lens, but also prevents the fatigue of carrying around equipment throughout the day. The gimbal offers stability and lessens the risk of blur in my pictures.

Panning is a technique that should be practiced and mastered. The panning movement will blur the background and give your photos the effect of movement. Practice positioning your tripod so birds fly perpendicular to the camera.

Higher shutter speeds of 1/1000s or more will freeze wing movement; lower shutter speeds will blur movement. Experiment with both to find the effect your photograph needs. Â Remember an increase in focal length results in background blur disproportionate to the ratios of the focal lengths.

Continuous firing of frame rates of 6 frames a second or more will increase your chances of getting a great shot. You will shoot more blurred shots than great shots, but this is normal.

Many birds, such as hummingbirds, are creatures of habit and will frequent the same flower over the course of a day. Practice focusing on the flower and wait until your subject appears. It is much easier than trying to follow a hummingbird with your camera and lens.

Practice photographing birds alighting on fence posts, bird feeders and rivers and streams, roosting areas, etc. to perfect your technique. Always share your photos for critique; this will make you a better photographer!

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THE

HUMAN

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photo by Viktoria Haack 105

“Face Off”

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Have you seen the movie Face Off, with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage? Do you remember the name of one of the lead characters? Yeah, Sean Archer! Did you know he’s real? Did you know he’s a photographer? Did you know he’s an amazing photographer?

Well, he’s not THAT real, but portrait photographer, Stanislav Puchkovsky, created Sean Archer Photography.

He’s big on 500px and pretty much all over the world, so why not learning from him, rihgt?

ML: How did your journey in portraiture begin? Did you try other subjects before you settle on people?

SA: I always admired great photography, but never tried it seriously myself. In the end of 2011 I bought mirrorless camera Lumix G3, for travel and family shots. I knew nothing about photography, absolutely nothing. So, I choose simple automatic mode and began shooting everything, just for fun. My first model was my mom’s dog)

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In the beginning of 2012 my friend asked me to make portrait for her.

It wasn’t my first portrait (I love to draw from school and graduated Architectural Academy), but first as a photographer. To my big surprise, result was better than her photo from some professional guy before. And I realized that I like process a lot, from shooting to postprocessing. It’s like drawing, but much faster. I never had patience to be serious artist, but just enough to be a photographer)

no selection. Now most of my work is paid, so people choose for me, as a portrait photographer. But, there’s always time for photography as a hobby, and now I can choose models to work with. I look at model and wonder how she’s would look in my pictures.

ML: All your models are very attractive and willing to pose provocatively for you. How have you made that possible?

SA: Before photoshoot I always ask model to show what photos she likes, what’s comfortable for her, what she wants. So, before I take the camera I already know what we want to get. It works perfectly and I’ve never had any problems or misunderstandings. Of course, my portfolio helps a lot. Models know what to expect, and ready to cooperate.

What’s really important is that it was never my goal, to be provocative.

I believe I don’t cross the border between beauty and vulgarity. As an artist, I think, you can find beauty not just in the eyes, hair and lips, but in the waistline, hips, etc. It’s a study of form and light that attracts me.

ML: How do you deal with your subjects and are there tricks to getting the results you want?

SA: I like to show good shots in the process, on camera screen. When I see a really good one, I always show it. It helps. Everyone loves it, people see that they’re already look great in a photo. And don’t forget, those screenshots are small and bright, so it’s not a problem to find some.

ML: How do you stay excited by portraiture?

SA: I always wanted to do something like this. From early childhood I love to draw, usually it was comics and action heroes. Then some real artwork in academy, graphics and broadcast design. And photography, it comes naturally, as next step in my creative way. I think of myself as not only photographer, and as an artist too.

ML: If you’re not working on a client’s brief, how do you come up with themes?

SA: It’s pretty easy. It’s a model and her clothes you work with. I don’t like special themes and heavy make up (for example, “let’s do vampires” or something). I like natural beauty and natural light.

ML: What’s your favorite style of lighting to work with? Do you prefer

ML: What do you enjoy about working with people?

SA: It’s fun. I never try to be dead serious or something like that. I don’t do preparations. It’s always improvisation, just “let’s start and we’ll see what we got”. I shoot a lot of people I’ve never seen before and it’s always comfortable.

ML: How has your style and approach to portraits evolved as you’ve done it more?

SA: As I said, in the beginning I knew nothing about photography. And all I know now is from my own experience. Thousands of shots, learning the light, camera modes, processing methods.

Important, I worked in broadcast design and good with graphic software, it helps a lot.

ML: What do you look for when selecting your subject?

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natural light or flash?

SA: Natural light only. It’s warm and soft. Maybe it’s not the best choice for advertising and fashion, but great for portraits. And it’s free!

ML: How do you modify your lighting to suit the subject and get the results you want?

SA: It’s good when a shooting day is sunny and you can get all the light you need. It’s not a problem to reduce it (jalousie, curtains). Just don’t let direct sunlight in, it should be diffused.

ML: How extensive is your post-processing?

SA: Mostly, it’s light and experiments with color. Sometimes conditions are far from perfect, so it needs more work. I never know what to expect, it’s a total improvisation. Will it be in warm colors or in cold colors? Or maybe black and white?

ML: What’s your typical workflow for retouching a shot? How much retouching do you do?

SA: I remove spots and problematic skin zones. It’s very important to keep skin texture, make it clear and bright, but natural. I don’t like the ”fashion” style that makes skin lifeless, like it was processed with a sandblasting machine. Sometimes it’s ok to highlight the freckles, for example.

ML: What’s your approach to adding creative effects in post-production, such as texture, lighting effects and toning?

SA: You know, significant part of my pictures was made at my place, so I’m always trying to create something different. Textures are good to use.

Sometimes I draw some light accents and experimenting with cross-processing. I don’t believe in “true photography” (shots straight from the camera), it’s good for journalism, but in portraits you have to be an artist.

ML: What’s your favorite camera and lens setup for indoor work?

SA: My first camera was Lumix G3 and it really shines with Olympus Zuiko 45mm. If you have good light condition it’s very good. My second camera was Canon 6D with three Canon lenses, 50mm 1.4, 135mm L 2.0 and 85mm L 1.2. Later I started to work with Olympus, so I have the best gear from them. My favorite camera is Olympus E-M5 Mark II with Olympus prime lenses 75mm and 45mm. For travel I use 12-40 mm.

ML: Aside from photo gear, what do you like to keep around to make your shooting easier?

SA: A fan. Sometimes it’s more than just volume to the hair, it could create some interesting new looks. When I’m trying new angles, speed and height the results could be surprising. And, of course, some background music is always good.

ML: Why did you choose to use an alias?

SA: When I decided to upload some of my first shots to big photo sites, I wasn’t sure at my skills at all. I wasn’t sure it was good enough to be among great photographers with expensive gear and many years of experience. So, I choose to use my nickname from video games, “Archer”.

And when it was necessary to enter full name, I used “Sean Archer”, as the agent from the movie “Face Off”. I think, it’s a lucky alias.

ML: Has the exposure on 500px led to any paid photographic work?

SA: It didn’t. But it gave me more, confidence. I can’t take money for work if I’m not sure of myself. When my shots became popular, I thought, “It’s not bad what you’re doing. A lot of people thinks so, it’s inspiring. Don’t stop”. And half a year ago I realized many people around me are ready to pay for my work. It’s word of mouth, that’s led to paid work.

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Sean Archer Photography on 500px Sean Archer Photography On Facebook Sean Archer Photography On Flickr Sean Archer Photography Tumblr

GET THE SPECIAL DISCOUNTED WORKSHOP TODAY! 111

This shoot took place in the old castle of Ali Pasha that was constructed by the Turkish governor of Ioannina, to overlook the area, the sea and most of all the town of Parga Greece. It served as a base of operations against the residents of Parga, who were resisting against the Ottoman attacks.

Ali Pasha had 300 women in his harem. Most of them were kidnapped from the neighboring Greek villages—pretty girls for the harem. Following the inspiration of his life and this place that keeps till now the spirit of that age, Olga decide to escape from his harem…..

Model: Olga Miromanova Sony A 7s, 35mm, 1/640

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Vassilis Pitoulis Photographer

A duty and a race against time as a photographer to be able to shared the beauty of life as I see it.

Website | 500px | Facebook

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On Top of the W o r l d at last

by Viktoria Haack

Viktoria Haack Photographer

I’m a UK photographer based in British Columbia, Canada Website | 500px | Facebook Page

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My journey into photography started approximately 12 years ago when I lived on a small island in the UK. I began photographing my local environment and shared my work through social media, here also finding inspiration through the work of others. The National Trust (the UK’s largest conservation charity); offered me my first big commission.

In 2007 I moved to a small city in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. I continued to pursue my personal interest in photography in addition to doing some unpaid work for non-profit groups.

This gave me valuable experience, images for my portfolio and helped to get my name into the local community. Before long I was being commissioned to provide work and as a result, my business slowly grew and developed. The general rule for photographers seems to be to find your niche, excel in that area and market to your specific target audience.

However, my small town location necessitated a different strategy in order to survive financially. I found myself being asked to undertake a

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variety of different styles of work ranging from food photography to interiors, to weddings: I realized that the opportunity to build and nurture a photographic business where I lived required that I become proficient in all aspects of photography rather than to specialize in one or two particular fields.

Learning ‘on the job’ is never acceptable so I only undertake commissions that I am qualified to complete competently. As my education and skills have increased so has my business and I have learned

how the different genres of photography can compliment and feed each other.

This diverse background has enabled me to move in and out of areas of interest so that I can keep fresh and don’t feel jaded by shooting wedding after wedding or family session after family session. As I continue to grow and develop, I feel fortunate that I am not trapped in a particular style or niche. My skillset is ever developing and I am interested in facing new challenges and taking new directions. I recently began doing more assignments for the tourism industry and have joined forces with some other great photographers to offer workshops in backcountry locations. My priority has always been my husband and daughter, so being able to change up the types of work I do allows me to organize my workload to take best advantage of time with the family.

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