Nature Photo Magazine 2013/3

AUTUMN / 2013/3.

nature photo magazine

®

ONLINE PHOTO MAGAZINE

TRAVEL | WILDLIFE | LANDSCAPE | PEOPLE-CULTURE | TEST

SOUTH AFRICA | Photo adventure IMPRESSIONISM | Photo school AUTUMN FOREST | Tips & tricks

KALANDVÁGY VAGYOK

OM-D: CREATE YOUR OWN WORLD A new digital SLR era is about to begin. Digital SLRs, which simply replaced film with an imaging device, did not change signifi cantly in terms of size, weight and user AZ ÚJ D7100new VAGYOK. A korlátok nélküli a has an exceptionally interface.

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D7100_BK_SP_VOLCANO_HUN.indd 1 www.olympus-omd.com

2013.03.04. 17:20

WELCOME Dear Reader, Here we are with our autumn issue, 2013/3. Another three months gone, and the newest issue of Nature Photo Magazine has arrived.

This is our seventeenth issue in Hungarian and in English too. The summer has gone quickly, lots of prizes have been awarded by the expert journalists of EISA. A taster from our current issue: In our adventure tour Pál Teravágimov guide you to South Africa for an adventurous and exciting trip.

In our shopping guide column we introduce the MILC that is the Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras. This is a new segment between DSLRs and compacts and almost every serious camera producer got into this competition. Let’s see how did they do.

Autumn is a nature photo season rich in colours and atmospheres.

Through the pictures and text of Árpád Krivánszky and László Suhayda you can get new inspirations to capture this beautiful season returning every year.

We could test in the field Olympus cutting-edge OM-D mirrorless interchangeable lens camera which we took up to Prague. I wore it out for a week, so I could thrash it out with sufficient experience.

I really like its retro look and practical design. We would like to show a special style in our Photo School column. We give tips and inspirations for impressionist photography, a less know style in nature photography through the pictures and text of Anikó Imre and Tamás Imre.

The Portfolio now exceptionally is about the two editors of Nature Photo Magazine. Anikó Imre and Tamás Imre was honoured by the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) to receive the EFIAP (Excellence of Photographic Art) award. We have selected a bunch out of their pictures on this occasion.

In our Tips and Tricks column János Szekeres gives advices for the photography of big games in gane parks and game gardens. János’s article is illustrated with pictures and is practical and informative.

He aimed to prove that you can take nice animal photos not just in the wilderness but in the game parks near us. We continue the „People-Cultures-Cities” series with the second part of travel diary of Mrs Maria Csicseri Papp on her Peruvian trip. Maria’s meaty article presents not only varied lands, cities and villages but gives an insight into the life of the Peruvians.

In our Life Under the Water column Dániel Selmeczi dive photographer reports the exciting moments of a night dive both in pictures and text. Please receive our seventeenth issue with love, in IPAD, iPhone and ANDROID version as well!

Tamás Imre EFIAP Photo: © Tamás Imre Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Editor-in-chief f/5.6 1/50sec ISO 100

Photo adventure - South Africa 6

PHOTO SCHOOL - IMPRESSIONISM

The basics of landscape photography had been already discussed at our 2012/3. fall edition, as to continue I would present a totally different view to our readers.

The impressionism is a style of painting but it was not always been accepted. Real artists has always been interested in experiments and exciting creation.

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TEST - OLYMPUS OM-D E-M5

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Olympus started to sell its MILC cameras in 2008, entering the company into the history of photography as the pioneers of mirrorless interchangeable-lens on the digital market.

Although this camera was launched in 2012 but we have not had the chance until now to try out the strongest and most innovative MILC body of Olympus.

TIPS AND TRICKS - GAME RESERVES

94

Photography of big games in open field is a difficult task.

They move around in early morning and late evening, during the day they rest in the inaccessible and silent part of the area. We call these dense and bushy areas the game hiding parts of the forest. These parts are respected even by hunters, as if the game are disturbed frequently they wander away to another part of the hunting field, if we are lucky, or to another hunting field, if we are unlucky.

© Pál Teravágimov

PEOPLE-CULTURES-CITIES - PERU 2.

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TIPS AND TRICKS - AUTUMNAL FOREST 138

SHOPPING GUIDE

MILC - MIRRORLESS INTERCHANGEABLE-LENS

CAMERAS

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PORTFOLIO

A luxury of comfort on the Inca Express couch. We glide silently through beautiful lands without any stop. The camera must have a rest too (?). Some quick shot for a few minutes, just in case. At last we have a longer stop at the ruins of an Inca temple. Astonishing sizes and proportions. A craft fair in the main square.

Women in wide skirts and sizy brown hats. Different land, different hats.

Autumn, with its spectacular colours and mysterious fogs and mists, is the favourite season of nature photographers. With this article we want to seduce the lovers of nice photos into the middle of the forest which offers several exciting themes in this season. We would like to give some tips on this subject.

ANIKÓ IMRE EFIAP AND TAMÁS IMRE EFIAP

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LIFE UNDERWATER NOCTURAL DIVE 130

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM +2.0x

f/5.6 1/800 sec ISO 640

Photo adventure

ON THE SOUTHERN LANDS OF AFRICA I had the chance to visit South Africa in December 1996 the first time, for the invitation of a good friend of mine. We had been hiking for a month all over the country, starting from Cape Town through the famous Garden Route up to Kruger National Park, then back to Cape Town. I gained unforgettable experiences in the transforming country which had just got through the apertheid regime, so for me it was only the question of time to return. „Only the time...� Well, not little time needed for that, but eventually I returned. Between 2006 and 2009 I visited South Africa in every year, some time with my wife or own my own or with photographer friends. I select from the experiences of these trips in the following paragraphs.

CAPE TOWN AND ITS REGION For us, Europeans, a South African journey begins in Johannesburg or in Cape Town.

Johannesburg has a bad reputation in the international press (it was the case particularly before the 2010 FIFA World Cup), thus if the traveller want to see more than the Kruger National Park, then Cape Town is the ideal starting point.

This city, established in 1652 and having a population of 3 million people, is one of the world’s most beatifully situated cities without any exaggeration.

The city is situated only 50 km from the Cape of Good Hope which is believed to be the southernmost point of Africa.

In fact, the southernmost point of Africa is Cape Agulhas which can be found about 170 km from Cape Town. Yet the typical programme of visitors of Cape Town, apart from wandering in the city, is to see the the more famous Cape of Good Hope. We interrupted the one-hour drive to there by a visit to Simon’s Town.

The reason for that was to see the African mainland penguins, as the biggest colony of them can be found at Boulders Beach, few miles off the town. African penguin is the only penguin species breeding in Africa. Specimens live at Boulders Beach are accustomed to the nearness of man, so they can be approached even to a few metres close. After admiring the penguins, we arrived at the Cape of Good Hope late afternoon and stayed there until sunset.

Walking by the rocky and desolate coast it is hard not to think of that nothing else is between us and the Antarctic only the endless ocean. Since the time we spent in Cape Town during our South African trip fell to the Christmas holiday, we spent Christmas Eve by having dinner in the harbour of Cape Town. The next day we visited the world famous Stellenbosch wine-growing region , then we set off the eastern parts of the country.

Canon EOS 5D, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM

f/16 1/125 sec ISO 800

Canon EOS 5D, EF17-40mm f/4L USM

f/22 0.4 sec ISO 100

Canon EOS 5D, EF17-40mm f/4L USM

f/22 1/320 sec ISO 800

Canon EOS 5D, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM

f/8 1/320 sec ISO 200

ALONG THE COAST From Cape Town towards the east we drove through Garden Route. This long section along the coast is one of the most spectacular roads of the world. Rich vegetation, sandy and rocky sections of coast, temperate zone climate – everything is together for the European visitor to feel that it is the best place ever. Our mood was only affected by the weather a little, as during the trip most of the time it was cloudy, rainy and windy.

Although these factors are not comfortable but increase the chances to take exciting pictures, thus we were not really unhappy. We spent long time of the coasts of the towns called Plettenberg Bay and Keurbooms and tried to capture the stormy land.

Having our trip continued we arrived at Durban after an endless drive, then we left behind the coast for good.

HLUHLUWE-IMFOLOZI NATIONAL PARK My first visit to this not widely known national park was in 1997, guided by a sudden idea. I liked that there was no crowd and the mass of cars were not followed the animals like it is usual in most of the famous African parks. Thus we popped into the little gem on the way from Durban to Kruger National Park.

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi is a national park with an area of 960 km², the oldest protected land of Africa, it has been under protection since 1895. Its environmental value derives from the fact that the most white rhinoceros live here, the park, or more precisely parks (originally three different parks) were established primarily

Canon EOS 5D, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM

f/5.6 1/160 sec ISO 100

Canon EOS 5D, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM

f/5.6 1/250 sec ISO 100

for the protection of this species.

It is one of the few African parks where visitors almost surely can see white rhinoceros. We were not disappointed too, as we bumped into rhinoceroses at every step which is not surprising as almost 1600 white rhinoceroses live in the national park. Of course, we saw lots of other herbivores, particularly zebras and antilopes. Although all the five African big game can be found in the park, we were not lucky to spot predators.

Driving through Swaziland we continued our journey towards Kruger National Park. Having a look at the map it seems to be a sensible decision as the shortest way from Hluhluwe-Imfolozi National Park leads through Swaziland to our next destination. And if the traveller strays into this little country, then it is worth visiting Hlane National Park too, the former hunting ground of Swaziland’s king. Plenty of rhinoceros, elephant and quite a few lions live in this park which is rarely visited by tourists.

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK Leaving behind Swaziland we had arrived at the Kruger National Park.

The park stretches about 350 km from North to South and has an average width of 60 km. Therefore we talk about a huge area, quite a few days are needed for a proper visit. Although this is one of the most famous parks in Africa, it provides a very different experience than the famous East-African parks.

Most of roads here covered with good quality asphalt, dirt roads can be used only by the cars of the national parks. The network of well-organised, very similar camp

Canon EOS 5D, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM +2.0x

f/5.6 1/500 sec ISO 400

Canon EOS 5D, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM

f/13 1/500 sec ISO 400

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM

Canon EOS 5D, EF70-200mm f/2.8L USM

f/5.6 1/200 sec ISO 640

f/8 1/400 sec ISO 400

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, EF300mm f/2.

Canon EOS 5D , EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM

.8L IS USM +2.0x

f/11 1/200 sec ISO 400

M +2.0x f/5.6 1/800 sec ISO 200

Canon EOS 5D, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM

f/5.6 1/250 sec ISO 400

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM +2.0x

f/6.3 1/1600 sec ISO 200

Canon EOS 5D, EF17-40mm f/4L USM

f/6.3 1/50 sec ISO 100

sites waiting for the safari guests.

You can find simple, but comfortable apartmans and well-stocked shops and restaurants in these camps, some of them even have pools as well. Thus travellers tired of driving between the camps can have a comfortable refreshment and rest here. So this is a little different experience compared to those parks in East-Africa.

The wildlife here also varied and abundant, with a little luck you can capture all the significant African big game in a few days. We could see herbivores, primarily African buffalos, zebras, gnus and impalas at every step during our trip, but there were lots of elephants too. Among predators spotted hyena (they lie down on the warm asphalt often right next to the cars), but if you have some luck lions, leopards and cheetas can also appear near the road.

It does not make photography easier that after spotting these stars of the wildlife, quite a few cars arrive at the scene in minutes and sometimes mob scenes develop around a big game which lazily ignores people.

The camp sites can be left at a determined time, after 6:30 in the morning and you have to return to the camp by 6 in the evening. After 6 only the participants of night tours organized by the national parks can stay in the wilderness.

UP TO THE VICTORIA FALLS Perhaps it is not surprising that after this nearly European-style, well-organized national park, wellstocked with icecream and Coke the adventure-hungry traveller almost thirsty for something less regulated, a little wilder

Canon EOS 5D, EF17-40mm f/4L USM

f/7.1 1/320 sec ISO 100

Canon EOS 5D, EF17-40mm f/4L USM

f/11 1/25 sec ISO 640

and more African experience.

Well, there is plenty of chance for that in the southern part of Africa too, you just have to travel a bit more. Therefore, after we had nearly been arrested in Mozambique, we suddenly decided to drive through Botswana up to the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. It was a long trip on often low-quality roads but the sight of the Victoria Falls and the Okavango Delta was worth every effort. We only had a morning to visit the waterfall, then we had to return to Botswana.

We had a plan to get into the biggest inland delta on Earth, the Okavango Delta. As only some parts of the delta can be accessed by car, we had to board on a few-seated plane and fly to one of the camps of Moremi Game Reserve.

If you want to see the intact Africa, you must visit this place! Our camp was situated in the middle of the wilderness without any fence. We could photograph hippos, hyenas and monkeys from the little terraces of our tents. We took part in a night and a morning game watch. We followed trackers to see a cheetah family by the Jeep of the camp and stayed by a leopard dining from a warthog. We followed an old male lion walking towards our camp and admired a rarely seen serval in the light of the lamps. All of these in a silent, swampy land where no one else disturbed the animals. These were special hours, not comparable to any other African experience. Sadly, just hours as we raced with time, we had to fly back after one night to Maun, then from there we drove to Johannesburg.

Long and tiring days were behind our backs, packed with experiences and adventures. And still plenty to see in these countries, God knows, we might return some time.

Text and images: Pรกl Teravรกgimov

Planning Destination: South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Accessibility: Cape Town and Johannesburg.

What to photograph: landscapes and wildlife.

What to take with us: wide-angle lens, 16-35mm, 70-200mm, minimum 300 mm telephoto lens with 1,4x and/or 2x teleconverter;

tripod batte

Acco In the apart Okaw

Best South

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM +2.0x

d; ND graduated filter; memory card and eries as much as you can.

omodation: e national parks you can choose from different tments according to your needs. Camping in the wango delta.

time to go: h Africa all year, Okawango mainly in summer.

f/5.6 1/250 sec ISO 400

Shopping guide MILC - MIRRORLESS INTERCHANGEABLE-LENS CAMERAS I continue the shopping advice which I started in the previous two issues. Now I would like to introduce you the less-known cameras of the MILC category which are very successful in the West and in Japan. MILC is the abbreviation of Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera.

Since producers leave out the mirror, so the lens is closer to the sensor, they could produce smaller sized interchangeable-lens cameras for customers. The point is that they provide nearly the same features as the DSLRs, but in a much smaller and more compact size. The first copies appeared in 2008 in the system of Olympus PEN and Panasonic Lumix DMC1 Micro FourThirds. I had the chance to participate in Olympus’ Hungarian launch event and there they introduced PEN as the successor of the old Olympus film cameras.

In fact the technology is similar like in Leica’s legendary distant meter cameras, but the lens is closer to the sensor within the body. Actually Panasonic and Olympus have created this category for the market.

It is interesting that the two companies made an agreement which is mainly about that their interchangeable lenses compatible with each other. This is a unique intiative in this segment as the other competitors produce lenses only for their own bodies and systems. The competitors as follows (chronologically). Samsung NX and Sony NEX DSLR launched their APS-C sensors in 2010 which was a qualitative leap in this segment. Following the high interest of the Japanese and American customers, the other producers also wanted their share of the cake, which resulted in further developments and launches. In 2011, Nikon introduced two cameras called Nikon 1 to the wider public, in 2012 the Pentax Q, the Fujifilm X and the Canon EOS-M also got into the ring, launching their cameras with DSLR APS-C size sensors.

WHICH ONE SHALL I CHOOSE?

SENSOR SIZES As I mentioned above, the difference between the cameras on the market mainly is about the size of the digital sensor. The sensor’s size determine the size of the lens attached to it, and it also affects the image quality. The difference in image quality is primarily significant at higher ISO sensitivity, however, it is important to mention that with modern image processing programmes and software algorythms ISO 1600 sensitivity does not even noticeable. That is the point, the good image quality but we do not want cameras and lenses as big as at the DSLR segment. The MILC system was developed especially for those customers who find DSLR cameras too big. Therefore, in my opinion DSLR size sensors does not really make sense because those are available in the DSLR segment itself, with 60 to 100 different lenses, depending on the producer, and of course, they have their own customer basis.

Let’s have a look at the sensor sizes.

The smallest sensor is in the Pentax Q cameras not much bigger than in compacts, as a result its image quality not the best. The second competitor is the Nikon 1 series which is able to produce much nicer and more detailed pictures, but at higher ISO sensitivity its strength is over. Olympus and Panasonic with their fourthirds sensors are in the medium category, their image quality is quite good, even at a much higher ISO 800 sensitivity.

Don’t forget that since 2008 these two companies have permanently been developing and producing cuttingedge lenses for their cameras.

Canon, Fujifilm, Samsung and Sony built APS-C sensor into their cameras which is widely used in the DSLR segment.

Their image quality equal to those of DSLRs but in a more compact construction. The problem is that while we can get a Canon EOS 1100D with kit lens for about HUF100,000, it cannot be said about MILC cameras equipped with APS-C sensor.

LENS SUPPLY It’s now come to the point of this.

Even a photographer who uses an amateur DSLR switches to MILC segment to be able to buy the desired lenses which he or she want and can afford. In the MILC category Micro FourThirds are the most efficient lenses. Olympus and Panasonic produce lenses with better and better light intensity in the fixed segment and they are also the best in the field of the amateur zoom lenses with changing light intensity.

And that’s not all. Sigma, Tokina and Tamron also launched lenses compatible with their cameras.

The rest of the producers - Nikon, Canon, Sony and Pentax – have also thought of those customers who use DSLRs with an existing lens palette: they can use their professional lenses on MILC cameras too with the help of a converter. Of course, Olympus has already done that with the first PEN camera. I had the chance to try out a PEN camera with Olympus DSLR lens, it looked quite funny.

Sometimes this thing comes with the loss of the AF function which is of course not OK for everyone.

Among the most practical solutions I have to mention the power zoom lenses which can be used for making videos as well, they are able to focus smoothly even during zooming.

It is interesting that Canon is about to launch this new category at DSLRs under the name ST-M lens.

FLASH SUPPLY You can by special flashes for smaller MILC cameras, but thanks God, DSLR producers made their MILCs compatible with these flashes too.

It can be important if we buy a MILC for a second camera for family holidays or trips, so we do not have to miss our familiar equipment.

Entrance level: • Pentax Q • Panasonic G • Olympus E-PL Medium level: • • • •

Canon EOS-M Nikon 1 Olympus PEN E-PM Panasonic GF

Advanced level: • • • •

Panasonic GX DMC-GH3 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Sony NEX-7

SUMMARY We recommend MILC cameras for those who want to switch from compact cameras to a more serious one, or for amateur and professional photographers who often have problems with the size and weight of DSLR bodies and kits. One thing is sure, photography is developing and today not only the photographer matters but the camera too. The era of compact cameras has gone, more and more smart phones suitable for quality photography are on the market.

A MILC can be beneficial for those users who want more but cannot make friends with the more professional DSLR segment.

Have a nice browsing in the pricelists!

Tester: Tamás Imre EFIAP

Photo school

IMPRESSIONISM AT LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY The basics of landscape photography had been already discussed at our 2012/3. fall edition, as to continue I would present a totally different view to our readers.

The impressionism is a style of painting but it was not always been accepted. Real artists has always been interested in experiments and exciting creation.

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III EF80-200mm f/2.8L f/8 1/13 sec ISO 200 article sponsor:

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM f/20 1/80 sec ISO 200

The history of impressionism starts with the activity of a non-impressionist painter. Édouard Manet showed a new way to younger painters and to lovers of arts with his new type of point of view and experiments. The main point is to discover that visual signs and forms have their own power to create a picture. He had two famous and shocking works the “Breakfast in open air” painted in 1863 and the “Olympia”.

This style had lots of followers who are known as famous painters today: Claude Monet, Lovis Corinth, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, or from Hungary József RipplRónai, Merse Pál Szinyei and Mihály Munkácsy. Impressionism was the first revolution of modern arts, the sensual impression had been recorded and this is how it got its name. Painters, who called themselves impressionists painted mainly the lights. Their themes and the space were painted as they saw them at that very time. Therefore they made their works always in open air (plein-air) and not in studios. This is what led their brushes. The influence of these pictures is frenetic: the viewer almost identifies himself with those spaces and lights. Light dissolves colors, vibration of air washes away the solid contours, reflecting effects vibrate on surface, these pictures fulfilled with life. At the end of the 1800s neither the active painters nor the contemporary public liked these painters, they made fun out of them, but nowadays the biggest museums rival with each other for an original picture worth almost indefinable in numbers.

Impressionism was introduced to Hungary by the landscapes of a less known Hungarian artist, László Paál. He lived and worked in Barbizon, near Paris, thus French impressionists had a high influence on him. László Paál and MIhály Munkácsy were friends so it is sure that Paál had an influence to the Hungarian painters via his famous friend.

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM f/29 1/6 sec ISO 200

PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMPRESSIONISM Impressionism could not really strike roots in photography. It more seems like a wasted picture in the technically perfect world than an art creature.

It has some truth because a lot of people mix a blurred image with a purposely blurred and conscious artwork, and sometimes people call a missed image an impressionist photo on the Internet. But a blurred picture is not an impressionist photo.

First of all we need to learn how to make a clean cut photo, and once we do it knowingly, we can begin to create impressionist photos.

In photography there are no big progenitors of this style, maybe a few dance photos are out there from the early 20th century, but as a recognized technique it never became substantive. In the last decade there are a lot of people trying to show something new since clean cut photos do not make anyone an art photographer.

WHAT IS A GOOD OR ACCEPTED IMPRESSIONIST PHOTO? The main point is like in paintings, lights and tones and those almost sensible “light brushes� strains on pictures. These photographs have an emotional range; the vibration of reflecting lights and effects is almost sensible which pulls out them from the simply sharp photos.

It is important that these photos should not be made by using software posterior, we have to get the wanted influence while exposing in the open air, and we can achieve it in different ways. I give you a few advices.

Bahama

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

f/3.2 1/60sec ISO 100

Canon EOS 7D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM f/7.1 1/10 sec ISO 640

Canon EOS 7D, EF 600mm f/4L IS USM f/6.3 1/4 sec ISO 1250

Canon EOS 7D, EF 600mm f/4L IS USM f/16 0.3 sec ISO 100

Canon EO

OS 7D, EF 600mm f/4L IS USM f/16 1/15 sec ISO 100

TIPS AND TRICKS: 1, Set the camera to Tv or S time priority setting and set the exposure time to 1/15s and move your camera while exposing.

If you did everything correct, you should have an excitingly blurred picture with shrill lines.

Real professionals can take a nice photo using a tripod and set up the composition before hand, because the nice impressionist photo is not only a shaft but everything above.

2, Start blurring from left to right and move your camera higher and again from left to right. It makes a little like a painting effect.

3, Straight-lined forest photos can be made by fixing shutter speed as it follows. Whether we expose from a tripod or out of hand, we need to underpin the camera to make sure it is not moving from left to the right. The main point is to twitch our camera from down to upwards or vice versa while exposing. This is how paintinglike strokes can appear which can result in exciting art photographs.

4, Let’s have lots of experiments and we will get nice photos, but during the final processing it is worth to make these photos a little oversharp to get the deepness of the picture.

I would like to wish all of our readers nice experiments and exciting landscape photography.

Text and images: Tamรกs Imre EFIAP

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM f/22 1/5 sec ISO 100

I AM WHERE I BELONG

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All combined in an extremely durable, weatherproof and portable body for great performance, wherever you go, whatever you do.

I am for the ones who go further. nikon-europe.com

ANIKÓ IMRE EFIAP & TAMÁS IMRE EFIAP

Anikó Imre, art photographer, journalist

Tamás Imre art photographer, journalist

•

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EFIAP art photographer, Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique

EFIAP art photographer, Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique

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Member of the Canon Pro Club

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Canon Pro Club - chairman

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Member of the Touristic Journalists Association (TUISZ)

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Member of the Touristic Journalists Association (TUISZ)

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Member of the management of the „Wildlife”

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Chairman of the „Wildlife” Hungarian Nature

Hungarian Nature Photographers Association ILFIAP •

Member of the Photographic Society of America (PSA)

We can inform our readers that the fruit of decades of work has been ripened for two members of our editorial team. This summer the co-leaders of the editorial of our magazine, Anikó Imre and Tamás Imre were honoured by the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) with the EFIAP Excellence art photographer’s diploma for their outstanding results at international photographic art salons, competitions and exhibitions and as a recognition of their submitted professional portfolio.

The professional photographic works of Anikó and Tamás have been published in photo papers and magazines for more than 15 years, besides, they contributed with their pictures to the publications of Natura 2000 emvironmental protection project and several Hungarian educational materials.

Photographers Association, ILFIAP •

Member of the Photographic Society of America (PSA)

Their selfless enthusiasm, photographic knowledge and love for nature inspired thousands of photographers to see their environment and the world in a different way. Their work was an example for younger and older, amateur and professional photographers, showing the way towards art photography and encouraging these efforts.

Nearly 550 artworks of the artist couple (Anikó Imre and Tamás Imre) has been performed successfully at more than 300 exhibitions. Their 44 works have received awards and out of them 22 won the first prize. They can be proud of several FIAP, PSA and PSI gold medals and hold numerous silver and bronze medals too.

Recognition is always a nice feeling but not that was the first thing they had run for. They were inspired by their wholehearted love of nature, they

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achieved their results through countless difficulties and unbroken enthusiasm.

They have achieved outstanding results in different fields of photography, they competed with their photos in categories such as Nature, Wildlife, Landscape, Photo Journalist, Nude and Monochrome.

World fame was brought by a diaporama made out of their African wildlife photos in 2008 which won the first prize in Australia, then further successes followed.

Photographers, photo artists and the wide public could see their pictures and diaporamas in the salons, exhibitions of France, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Netherlands, the USA, South America, the UK, India,

Australia, Canada, Austria, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Slovakia, Serbia, Norway, Russia, Ukraine and several other countries, and also in catalogues and on the Internet.

Their achievements and international successes contribute to the reputation of Hungarian photography all over the world.

They want to continue their art photographic activity and commitment to photography for many more years as for them not their successes are the biggest acknowledgements but when their students our readers and photographer friends achieve nice results.

editorial

Iceland p

panorama

Warrior o

of the wild

Colou

ur land

Old man in Varanasi

Body wave

Mystic

Hundred years old

Check m

me out

Flig

ght

Sta

art

Rocky w

waterfall

Crane in b

backlight

Qua

arry

Jab

bba

Red-foot

ted falcon

Tested in the field OLYMPUS OM-D E-M5

Olympus started to sell its MILC cameras in 2008, entering the company into the history of photography as the pioneers of mirrorless interchangeable-lens on the digital market. Although this camera was launched in 2012 but we have not had the chance until now to try out the strongest and most innovative MILC body of Olympus.

Olympus OM-D E-M5, 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3

f/7.1 1/60 sec ISO 320

PRESS NEWS According to the press releases and independent tests we could expect something different than the usual stuff on the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera market. The Olympus OMD E-M5 was built on a new concept. It provides a brand new focusing system and has a practical and useful electronic viewfinder, moreover, it is dust and waterproof as well. We can say that Olympus OMD E-M5 is the most professional camera of the MILC category.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS The camera was provided for me by Olympus Hungary and I received three different lenses for the sake of a more precise test. I had a default kit lens M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm with f/3,5-6,3 light intensity, an M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75mm f/1.8 and an M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12mm f/2.0. The body had the default grip which secured a better and more professional grip and look.

The OM-D camera cannot be compared to and former PEN version, it rather reminiscent to the old Leica cameras. Fortunately I do photography for a long time now, so after a quick review I was quite familiar with it. What I really liked and found innovative that its rear screen has a touch-sensitive unit, so settings can be done quickly and easily, moreover, the shutter button has two control dials which can be fully customized.

The button dial can be customized at four points to an extent that I struggled to find out which was for what. Just to name but a few, Fn1 function has the following individual settings: AEL/AFL on-off, at aperture setting the depthof-field preview, the selection of auto focus area, enlarging function and so on.

The most important functions of Fn2: ISO sensitivity, exposure correction, AF field selections, white balance, AEL/AFL, depth-infield preview, etc.

Olympus OM-D E-M5, 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3

f/16 1/125 sec ISO 200

We can choose from countless options.

We received an optional grip for the test camera on which there is also an option to customize two more function buttons.

The B-Fn1 and B-Fn2 function buttons have almost the same features than the two buttons above, so professional users do not have to miss anything. I needed a whole day to accustom to every important setting.

OUT IN THE FIELD I took the body and the three lenses to Prague. I had been working for a week with the flagship of Olympus. My experiences as follows. The first and most striking novelty is the 1.3-megapixel viewfinder which can be used excellently. Since I photograph with DSLR camera and I got used to make composition in the viewfinder, from my side it is a nice score for Olympus.

The producer thought of those who do not like to compose with the rear LCD in front of them. During the work I came across a lot of themes lying in the street as we used to say. A nicely reflected building in a puddle after rain invited me for exposure.

For a picture like that I should have wallowed on the ground for the sake of the diagonal composition and visibility. But with the OLED screen of Olympus OM-D I could work squatting from a comfortable perspective quickly and without any hassle. I used the AF-MF setting which is usual at Olympus, thus every lens I got for it became a professional one at once. In this case the photographer can override focusing even at AF, but I was surprised for a moment what I composed at Wenceslas Square at telephoto lens setting. After AF setting you can set sharpness manually in a way that the area on which the AF focused can be enlarged and you can see in the whole viewfinder the focused area.

I liked this function very much, so I checked AF at every shot and I had not have any blurred image during the whole week.

Congratulations to Olympus’ engineers for the development of this fantastic function.

Olympus OM-D E-M5, 75mm f/1.8

f/3.5 1/250 sec ISO 40

00

Olympus OM-D E-M5, 75mm f/1.8

f/4 1/500 sec ISO 400

Olympus OM-

-D E-M5, 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3

Besides city photography I wanted to test the lightning-fast AF option and the quick continuous shooting. I took the camera with the lenses to the Prague Zoo. The zoo is famous for its spacy and exciting runways and its nice and natural environment, so I thought i could capture some exciting action there.

Polar bears can be seen in a nice wet and rocky area separated by glass walls from visitors.

I thought that a bear playing and swimming in the water will be an excellent test subject to check out the quick AF function. I shot two series and the camera did its job excellently, followed what it had to follow. Every picture became sharp in the continuous shooting and there were some nice composition among them.

At exposure the camera take the pictures at an incredible speed; this small machine passed the test very well.

The polar bear shooting was followed by a portrait of the Great Grey Owl which was also very successful, although the owl was not really keen on being photographed. He moved his head back and forth but thanks to the fast 3D tracking I could capture him too.

By the end of the week I have finished travel photography and OM-D did its job very well, I think it is quite excellent for animal photography but what about images with long exposure time? Generally most of the non-DSLR cameras used to fail at this point. I went out to photograph the city light at the blue hours. Well, the result speaks for itself, it did the job nicely.

Believe it or not but it was the first time I did not miss my DSLR camera.

SUMMARY

f/11 3.2 sec ISO 200

Olympus OM-D is excellent for family, travel, night city, nature and report photography.

Those who already have fourthird lenses should buy it to have a nice and professional body.

Those who does not like carrying heavy kits on family trips and travel photography will not regret to get one too.

The camera body was provided by Olympus Hungary.

Tester: Tamรกs Imre EFIAP

Nikon D2x, Nikkor 300mm f/4 1/8 sec f/5.6 ISO 400

Tips and tricks

PHOTOGRAPHY IN GAME RESERVES

Photography of big games in open field is a difficult task. They move around in early morning and late evening, during the day they rest in the inaccessible and silent part of the area. We call these dense and bushy areas the game hiding parts of the forest.

These parts are respected even by hunters, as if the game are disturbed frequently they wander away to another part of the hunting field, if we are lucky, or to another hunting field, if we are unlucky. However, there is another option, photography on game parks or game reserves.

Game parks are established to show visitors the characteristic game population of the region. Hunter parks are established for hunting and you can get in only for limited time and the date of the visit has to be arranged in advance. Photography in game parks is a little easier and we have more an more opportunities in Hungary and abroad too.

Let’s have a look at the difficulties we might encounter during a game park photography session. Unfortunately, animals in most game parks are crammed into a little space, most of our problems derives from that fact.

The first disturbing factor is the fence. We should capture the game without the fence appearing in the picture. We can achieve this by walking close to the nearest fence and pushing the lense to the wire of the fence (of course, we do it carefully to avoid any damage of the lens) in a way that the optical axis of the lens should not coincide with the intersection point of the fence wires. By this method we can eliminate the fence which is near us. All right, but there is the other fence over there behind the game. We can overcome this problem by using telephoto lenses.

Bahama

NIKON D1X, Nikkor 300mm f/4 f/5.6 1/100sec ISO 400

NIKON D2X, Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 f/7,1 1/90 sec ISO 400

NIKON D3, Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 f/4 1/125 sec ISO 400

NIKON D2Xs, Sigma 500mm f/4.5 f/4.5 1/320 sec ISO 400

NIKON D1X, Nikkor 300mm f/4 f/4 0.3 sec ISO 100

N f

NIKON D3, Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 f/4 1/125 sec ISO 400

The bigger the telephoto lens we use, the more blurred the fence wire will be, in case if the game is situated a bit farther from the fence. There is another option too, to open up the aperture. The wider we open the aperture, the more nicely blurred the background will be.

If there is little light, in cloudy weather or early and late night we can use an other solution too, svenking or tracking in other word. We can apply this technique the way that we follow the motion of the game with the lens and expose with slow shutter speed and if we are lucky the animal will remain more and less sharp and the disturbing details disappear.

The rest of the technical details are almost the same as in open air photography.

However, I would list some suggestions which help to create nice and atmospheric pictures: • always take a picture characteristic of the given game • the eyes should be seen if possible • the four legs should be seen in the picture • take care of the disturbing details of the background • precise light metering is a must • use RAW format if possible • choose the correct white balance Have nice lights and nice pictures!

Canon EOS D60, EF 600mm f/4L USM

f/4 1/60 sec ISO 400

Text and images: Jรกnos Szekeres

People-cultures-cities A little bit of Peru 2.

A luxury of comfort on the Inca Express couch. We glide silently through beautiful lands without any stop. The camera must have a rest too (?). Some quick shot for a few minutes, just in case. At last we have a longer stop at the ruins of an Inca temple. Astonishing sizes and proportions.

A craft fair in the main square. Women in wide skirts and sizy brown hats. Different land, different hats.

Pisac, panorama with inca terraces

We arrive at a suburban bus station of Cuzco in late afternoon and take a taxi to our hotel near the main square. The driver leaves us in front of the stairs with all our luggages.

We have to climb again in full kit (at the height of 3326 m)! Our hotel is a patinated, damp and cold inn, made out of big stones.

It was so damp that we tried to dry our underwears beneath the laptop. However, the environment and the splendid breakfast make us forget these inconveniences.

Next day we went to Pisac. It is a tiny village 33 km far from Cuzco 33 km along the bank of Urubamba, in the Sacred Valley at 2972 m height. (The Sacred Valley is the short

section of River Urubamba from Pisac to Ollantaytantambo). The village is famous for its crafts fairs. The Inca ruins can be approached through a 4 km-long steep path climbing about 300 m up. We did the other way round. Went up by taxi as high as we could, then walk down to the village.

The panorama is amazing, the waving terraces, the houses of the Inca aristocrats and priests, the hospital. There is an Inca bath, graves scarved in the cliffs and the main temple below. Perfectly fitted, well-built walls, just like anywhere else in the Inca empire.

A circle-shaped observatory in the middle of

Inca home, Pisac

the area. Here is teh anchor point of the Sun. Fantastic engineering knowledge, precise work, well-organized community at a height of 3200 m. We cannot even perceive the sight. We were getting down carefully, guard rails are only at the very narrow parts.

temples. The city was the cultural and spiritual centre of the Inca empire. The did not spare the precious metals and gold for decoration.

This splendid era lasted until 1533. When the Spanish conquerors took over the power they melted in the Inca treasures.

At the tiny main square of the village boys dressed as Inca warriors are doing a war-dance.

We cannot admire them for long as we have to catch the bus to Cuzco.

The richest place was the Qoriancha, the „Golden Court” at the place of the Saint Dominic church. The building was full of gold and silver decorations and precious metal sculptures but apart from the massive wall built by the Incas nothing else remained. The church which was built on the Inca fundament was destroyed by earthquakes.

Cuzcot was established around 1200 AC by the first Inca, Manco Cápac, who called it the navel of the world. They built pompous palaces and

Inca hospital, Pisac

Inca temple, Pisac

Corpus Christi procession in front of the cathedral, Cuzco

Woman with a hat, Cuzco

Procession, Cuzco

Woman

n without a hat, Cuzco

Now its is an Inca archaelogical site.

The Temple of the Moon, of the Sun, of the Lightning, of the Thunder and of the Rainbow was constructed from trapeziform stones with great accuracy. The trapezoid windows were built in a way that from a certain point you can look through all the windows. The Spanish ruined most of the city and built a new city on the Inca fundament. The precisely carved Inca stones continue with simple, plastered walls, with Spanish-style carved balconies and tiny windows. The narrow, cobbled streets provide the special atmosphere of the city. The huge Plaza de Armas is the centre of the city with churches from colonial times.

I tried to capture the Corpus Christi ceremony from the balcony of a restaurant opposite to the Cathedral. Incredibly huge mass gathered together for the big event.

The square was packed with believers.

They carefully left the nicely-kept park in the middle of the square empty. The procession started from the Cathedral. The clergy went first followed by the believers who carried huge, painted sculptures singing. Others were dancing around the square in local costumes. But the calmness of the bronze Inca king in the middle of the square cannot be disturbed even by this buzzing mass of people.

The next morning we went for a touristlike sightseeing: Inca Museum, temples, San Blas Quarter, and in the afternoon back to Ollantaytambo, the northern gate of the Sacred Valley. After arrival we had two hours left to climb up to the Inca ruins. This is a smaller area than the previous ones.

Incas did not complete the construction of the most important buildings in Ollantaytambo, only the terraces had been done. The last Inca emperor fled here from the Spanish conquerors and had his biggest victory over them at this place.

Audience waiting in front of the cathedral, Cuzco

Inca war show on the main square of Pisac

Kids in Cuzco

Corpus Christi, Cuzco

Decorated tuk-tuk

The next day we drove by tuk-tuk to catch or „luxury” train which chuffchuffed with us to Machu Picchu. The staff served in uniform on the small train. There is a hiking option from the final station to the Inca city but we choose going by bus. Plenty of tourists are queuing at the entrance. Luckily most of the tourist walk in group, so we can overtake them.

The ruin were discovered by an American historian in 1911.

Archaeologists still do not know why the Incas built this lost city. According to a theory Inca aristocrats spent their holiday here. The location of the city is really stunning. Nothing can be seen from today’s world, only mountains and a city under a peak. Many people come here to meditate or for picnic.

You can lay down comfortably on the wide terraces and admire the Inca city.

Before we walk into the city, we climb up to the Inca bridge to watch Machu Picchu from above.

The route of the next tour leads to the Gate of the Sun. This is less touristfriendly. A very steep path under the blazing sun. I am struggling to reach the destination. But the sight is worth everything. We admire this wonder of the Incas so long that almost miss the walking tour in the city. Thanks to the special climate of the city exotic plants and hundreds of bird species live here.

Right from the central square mostly industrial and residential buildings, and the royal palaces are to the right.

The Temple of the Sun is a round building, next to it is the Temple of the Three Windows and the Main Temple.

Here you can find everything what is characteristic in an Inca city.

Kalap védelmében, Chucuito

Houses on Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Agricultural terraces, Moray

Church, Chinchero

Market, Chinchero

Bo

oys playing football on inca terraces, Chinchero

We have to run again to catch the bus, but we have time to have a fine dinner before the train departs.

In the morning, before departure we walking around a little in Ollantaytambo. Here the local costumes are different again, men dress finely. We manage to agree with a taxi driver at the main square to take us back to Cuzco, through Moray, Salineras and Chincherot which cannot be accessed otherwise.

We enjoy the freedom of travel, and stop for shooting here and there if we wish. Fantastic lights, mountains and colours.

Morayban has no Inca fortresses or temples. Only three huge rounded or oval pits. The biggest one is 36 m deep and 220 m long. It could be an agricultural experimental site. All of them were used before the heyday of the Inca empire.

The most special sight of the Sacred Valley is the salt mine at the southern bank of River Urubamba.

Five thousands salt pit was carved into the mountain side. The pits are 3 m wide and 30 cm deep. The salty spring which comes from the top of the valley filled the pits and after the water evaperated the salt was left behind.

The taxi driver now regrets that he made a deal with photographers.

The trip lasts much longer than he thought. We have to see Chincherot, the desoleted colonial town famous for its fairs at 3772 m height. The town is surrounded by Inca ruins and broad agricultural terraces.

Salt lakes in Salineras

Hat fashion in Chinchero

Next to the church women are sitting in funny, decorated hats. We just catch the wedding procession coming out of the church. A young couple at last!

They walk under a white flower-tunnel through the main square. The wedding guests throw flower over their heads.

On the market place vegetables and fruits, colourful folkweaves, hats and scarves, many beauties. Our impatiently patient taxi driver at last can drive us back to Cuzco.

Our Inca tour is over. We spend one or two days in Lima. We walk in the old quarters of the city, at Plaza the Armas, surrounded by colonial buildings.

We admire the Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace, The Palace of the President and the City House.

The buzzing city center, the colonial balconies of the patinated buildings, the richly decorated churches are all the important features of a SouthAmerican metropolis.

Miraflores Quarter is a new part of the city. Formerly it was the holiday resort of the rich people of Lima. Now it is the safest part of the capital, packed with sparkling skyscrapers and modern palaces.

Barranco is situated at the coast, south of Miraflores. In the 19th century many artists settled down here. Today the rural, coastal village has become a small town. Colourful houses, and small restaurants make it atmospheric.

We say goodbye to Peru at the terrace of a tiny restaurant. We could get to know only a small part of this huge country full of mountains, deserts and rain forests, yet we had been enriched with lots of nice experiences.

Text and images: Mária Csicseriné Papp Kézműves termék kínálat, Uros

Wedding in Chinchero

House in Barranco

Life underwater Nocturnal dive

In general, I’m not too fond of nightly immersions.

At the end of a day, following three or four turns I’m no longer fresh, nor does putting the wet gear back on sound enjoyable. It’s cold and dark.

I’ll borrow my lamp to anyone, who wants to.

But there is a certain nightly dip, that I wouldn’t miss out on: the Cocos Island area, calling to us with the promise of an unseen experience.

People dive at night to see an entirely different world in the glow of their lamps.

Various daylight avoiding creatures come into the open, all over the coral reef: Crabs in all forms and sizes, tunicates and countless other organisms. Alien like shapes - incomparably strange.

The majority of the divers will encounter large creatures only rarely at night under average circumstances. I’ve seen a turtle once, I think. I do recall one diver at one time, standing on a close boat. Having returned from the dive just a moment ago, he was wildly gesturing towards the water, eyes wide open, as if he’d seen Moby Dick. If you’re unaccustomed sharks swimming close by, then you might get a surprise visit from the always curious oceanic white tip shark, suddenly appearing from the darkness to investigate the stumbling, lamp lit diver.

But let us return to our original trip.

Cocos Island lies over 500 miles away from the shores of Costa Rica. It can only be reached by a 36 hour journey by ship, and is pretty much uninhabited (if you exempt the few local park rangers).

The island is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. It’s sprawling with green vegetation and there are innumerable waterfalls along its coast line. There is a steady lasting ban on fishing. The surrounding lakes and rivers are rich in nutrients, offering housing and food to a good many creatures travelling through.

Any questions?

The sun is sinking over the endless sea, coloring the strangely shaped rainclouds crimson. Our ship and home for this trip – the Underseahunter – lies securely at anchor in the Chatem bay. All divers are on deck. Some inspect their gear, others fix the cameras. Lamps suddenly light up and die in the silent, surrounding darkness.

Our guide Wilson’s voice finally breaks the silence: „Ladies and Gentlemen...”, and so his tale begins. Our next dive will be on the east side of Manualita Island.

It’s not our first time. We had had our check dive there, I remember no special occurrence. About 10-15 meters deep, with a slight slope, hardly any currents.

Ok, we saw a couple of white tips. All right, but why would it be special in the dark? The Triaenodon obesus, will hunt in groups in the light of our lamps. “How many will we see?” I quickly ask. “About 50-80”. “Oh..

That’s quite a few” I sheepishly reply.

These sharks just lie around in the shadows of the rocks during the day, or they tipsily swivel in the streams.

Their numbers, as a witty person once remarked compare to cucumbers in Croatia. After the second dive nobody was particularly interested in their presence. But the night changed everything! “Keep in mind,” Wilson interrupted “stay at least 2 meters from the bottom at all times!” I zip my suit, check the camera for the last time, and off we are to the island, dancing on the surface of the sea. Just as we halt next to the island, hundreds of resident birds break into a concert in our honor.

But I only listen briefly, as I put on my mask, and immerse into the 29 degree Celsius water.

It’s dark and dim, only the bubbles I broke with my dive disrupt the blackness. I turn the camera light on.

I sink towards the bottom, flipping the flash lights and machinery on as I go.

I can see the stones and pebbles. I’m about 9 meters deep. I look around… nothing. Every one of us is excitedly searching the murky waters with their lamps. The white tips appear a couple of minutes later. Swimming slowly, yet obviously with a different mindset than during the day.

Slowly groups evolve patrolling the reef.

The groups unite and the mass of marauders is growing steadily. The predators have arrived, but where is the prey? Letting my eye scamper around, I realize there must be at least 30 of them by now. They seem to be getting more excited, their movement quickens. Just like hunting dogs.

My attention is caught by a large, lonely, dark colored fish, a black jack. Its body is full of scratches and scars. “A survivor of many battles”, I think. Interestingly enough it’s moving ahead of the sharks, seemingly lured by the same bait. But what’s the connection between the black jack and the dozens of white tip sharks? The dark knight is leading the pack, as it turns out. I wouldn’t believe it had I not seen it with my own eyes!

The sharks were following him like puppies trotting behind their mother. Whenever the jack darted towards a fish, the sharks would crash all over the rocks, like worms filling the holes, and the little fish would suddenly be gone. I never had any idea which one had eaten it. But there is no time to think, as dinner continues. I follow them to see where it takes them.

I discover a small, red fish, swimming out in the open. The sharks attack at once. But the prey collects its last energy reserves to escape in short, quick sprouts. Tom y surprise everything changes, as the fleeing little fish suddenly stops, the bloodthirsty pack skids past. The fish is motionless, not a fin trembling, so to speak. The trick works! I can’t believe it! I have to smile at the ingenuity of the little fellow, escaping the sharks thirsting for its blood. How interesting, that the sharks seemingly turn their vision down while hunting, entirely relying on the stimuli generated by their Ampullae of Lorenzini.

Our trip behind the pack lasted another 50 minutes, we finally emerged. The experience had been unbelievable. Every member of our group was flabbergasted to have seen the hunter of the sea from such proximity.

Everyone’s chatting on about the things they had seen, the treat they had received…

Text and images: Dániel Selmeczi

Tips and tricks AUTUMNAL FOREST

Autumn, with its spectacular colours and mysterious fogs and mists, is the favourite season of nature photographers. With this article we want to seduce the lovers of nice photos into the middle of the forest which offers several exciting themes in this season. We would like to give some tips on this subject.

MORNING We can take very nice pictures in fog.

Fog fades the distant details or fully covers them, thus the closer subjects are highlighted. This effect can be strengthened if the distant things are more softly coloured. Fogs are varied, they can create different atmospheres depending on their thickness and density. At the time of this shot there was a medium thick fog which barely covered the top of the trees. The weak sunshine was filtered through the foliage and painted the fog pale yellow.

The theme is light, much lighter than medium grey, you have to overexpose the metered value to get a proper result.

© László Suhayda Canon EOS 5D Mark III EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM

f/10 1/50 s ISO 1600

In autumn the foliage of the trees changes from green the multicolour, then fades to brown and falls, creating a thick and soft carpet of fallen leaves. The colour mainly depens on the tree species of the forest and the micro climate.

The given forest part keeps its splendid appearence only for a few days, we have to catch this period. The strong sunlight often cause overcontrasted, „hard” pictures, pale sunlight, cloudy or foggy-misty weather or the „blue hours” are much more favourable. Colours are much more „lively” in moderate light. Take care of the proper setting of white balance! You also have to choose the place of photography carefully. Old forests are rarely nice and the undergrowth is usually chaotic. It’s hard to find a detail, viewpoint from where the shape of the trees and their position make a good composition. Take a tripod, release cable, polar filters with you, and lenses with different focal lengths, from the wide-angle lens to the 200 mm tele. Use wide-angle lenses carefully, otherwise too much light sky can be appeare in the picture.

If you tilt the lens, you get can get trees tilting outward or inward in the photo. This way you can get pictures with interesting effects, but do not overdo it, if all your pictures have the same style, the material becomes boring! Take pictures of the same area with different focal lengths, or even from a lower or higher position than usual, each picture will have a different atmosphere.

You can also encounter with animals in the autumnal forest.

This is the season of stag troating and wild boars have their mating period too. Both is exciting and spectacular scene, but these cannot be photographed properly on a usual photo trip with „normal” equipment. Yet it is worth looking for animals. In the early autumn weather plenty of insects move around the flowers, you can also spot reptiles basking in the weakening sunshine. If you are walking ina wetter, mountain forest, you can come across with fire salamanders too. Streams, little lakes or puddles in the forest offer amazingly beautiful themes for wide-awake photographers, such as reflections and colourful leaves fallen in the water.

If you find a lookout place during your forest hike, grab that opportunity too. The autumnal forest particularly suitable for experiments, you can create different blurred photos with impressionistic effects. (See the article of Tamás Imre and Anikó Imre on this topic).

Looking down the ground you can find flowers blooming, spectacular mushrooms, dewy or later rimy details. You need macro lens or extension tube, close-up lens to photograph them, and also nature photo tripod which can be set low or a bean bag. We give you further tips at relating to the individual pictures. Have a nice wandering and beautiful lights in the forest!

Canon EOS 5D Mark II EF180mm f/3.5L Macro USM

© László Suhayda f/3.5 1/32 ISO 200

Bahama

DEEP FOREST The plenty of fly amanitas (Amanita muscaria) looked like in a fairy tale, I tried to reflect this mood. The long focallength macro lens and the fully open aperture made possible to highlight a msuhroom in the blunt and patchy foreground and background.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF28-105mm f/3.5-4.5

© Árpád Krivánszky f/9 1/400 s ISO 200

LIGHT ORGAN One of the most beautiful photo themes is the photography of light beams ripping into the border of fog. If the sunlight breaking through the fog is too strong, you can hide the sun disc with leaves or branches. If the lighting becomes too contrasted, then you can get overexposed or dark details, so you should keep this in mind when choosing the shooting area.

AUTUMNAL PARADE

© László Suhayda

It is not easy to take a good photo of an individual tree in the forest, mainly because of the „chaotic” environment. In this case it is worth trying to capture a detail. I took this picture inspired by the incredibly beautiful golden-yellow and brown colour scheme of the foliage.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM f/8 1/10 s ISO 200

MIXED FOREST A groove of mixed tree species spiced with bushes and glades can be a beautiful sight too, with differently coloured trees and bushes. In the low sunlight at dusk time some parts of the land are shaded, while the other parts are more highlighted by the light falling upon them.

© Árpád Krivánszky Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 f/9 1/20 s ISO 400

REFLECTION The foliage of the forest became quite thin, in addition the light was too intense as well by the time we got to this place. We could not make a nice photo in a usual way, but in a form of reflection an interesting picture was created. The „broken” reflection caused by the rippling water creates an exciting effect. Reflections sometimes cannot be seen or just from certain view angles, but if it done well, you can get interesting and characteristic pictures. Often the image has to be underexposed to get the desired atmosphere and colour saturation.

© László Suhayda Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM f/9 1/80 s ISO 1250

AUTUMNAL BEECHES My favourite tree in the forest is the beech with its smooth and grey trunk and its foliage coloured yellowish or reddish. This picture was taken after sunset in the so-called blue hours. At that time the light is weakening, longer and longer exposure time needed, sometimes several seconds, so a tripod is a must. For this shooting the best is the windless weather, however, sometimes a little blur caused by a light wind can make the photo even more exciting. The shadowless lighting and the bluish colour scheme endows this picture with an unusual atmosphere.

© László Suhayda Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM f/6.3 1/50 s ISO 320

© László Suhayda

CYCLAMEN This rare and bright coloured flower is the gem of the early autumn forest. The light filtering through the foliage projected colourful patches around the flower, that’s what I liked in this situation. If you find similar circumstances, it is worth watching the setting for a few minutes.

The Sun moves relatively fast, so the light spots can change to a very different atmosphere in moments. You can select the nicest one from the different pictures. Take care of the exposure too, both the spots and the fine veins of the petals should be seen nicely.

RIMY LEAVES In November rime developed from frozen dew or hoarfrost condensed from the fog covers the leaves. It is the nicest in sunshine but photographers should hurry as it can melt quickly. The ice crystals less sparkling in cloudy weather but they can still frame the coloured leaves nicely. The tiny spider feels that he needs to find a good hide to survive.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM f/4.5 1/64 s ISO 800

© Árpád Krivánszky

OUTLOOK

Canon EOS 30D EF 80-200mm f/2.8L f/9 ¼ s ISO 100

During our wanderings in the forests we can find nice outlook places from where we can have look at the mountains and their forest as a crown. Perhaps they are the most beautiful at dawn when the mountains stand out like mysterious islands in the sea of clouds and fog lit by the early morning Sun. The sight is changing in every minute because the rising Sun and the current of air. The bald trees and the snow patches indicate the coming winter. © Árpád Krivánszky Canon EOS 5D Mark II EF 80-200mm f/2.8L f/16 1/25 s ISO 200

Canon EOS 30D EF 80-200mm f/2.8L + közgyűrű

© Árpád Krivánszky f/11 0,8 s ISO 100

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH The sight looks like as if we look at a land divided by streams and lakes from above, although it is just the surface of a flat stone which is watered but not fully covered by the stream. Besides the surface of the stone, the reflection of the sky and the colourful foliage also contribute to the sight. It is worth walking around the stone to find the point from where the reflection is the nicest, then sharpness has to be secured by choosing the right aperture and depth of field.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM

© László Suhayda f/10 1/250s ISO 800

NOVEMBER The other type of fog is the medium thick one. In this case the Sun does not shine in the trees, and then colour are dull. You can take warm grey-scale pictures with monochrome effect. Mysterious, „witchy” or definitely moody pictures can be made in such circumstances.

The ones corrected downward will be more depressed, while the ones corrected upward will be less moody pictures.

Text and images: Árpád Krivánszky and László Suhayda

EDITORIAL Editor in Chief :

Tamás Imre Tamás Imre

Anikó Imre

János Szekeres

Pál Teravágimov

Árpád Krivánszky

László Suhayda

Adrien Imre

Iván Éder

tamas.imre@naturephotomagazine.com

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