The Fine Art of Fashion Photography - PHOTONews

YOUR SOURCE FOR CANADIAN PHOTOGRAPHY

VOLUME 25, NO. 2 / SUMMER 2016 / $6.98

TONY BECK

PORTFOLIO: JOHAN SORENSEN

The Fine Art of Fashion Photography

Hummingbirds in Flight MICHELLE VALBERG

Photo Décor

MICHAEL DEFREITAS

Attracting Attention MICHEL ROY

Photo by Johan Sorensen

Points of View and more!

COMPLIMENTARY ISSUE • FREE COPY

Summer 2016  3 

Focal Point

BY JACQUES DUMONT, PUBLISHER  |  [email protected]

T he 25th Anniversary Celebration Continues! Join the conversation!

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Tune in to our NEW YouTube Channel: PHOTO News Canada TV Visit the website at www.PHOTO News.ca Join the flickr® group at www.flickr.com/groups/ PHOTONewsgallery/ Questions or comments? Please send me an e-mail at [email protected]

Our 25th Anniversary celebration continues with an issue filled to the brim with great ideas for spectacular summer photos. We asked our resident photo magician, Michel Roy, to explore new perspectives–and he revealed the magic of POV… it’s a new way to look at familiar scenes and subjects! With Spring showers bringing Summer flowers, we sent Christian Autotte into the field to share some techniques for rainy day photography, and we asked our award-winning travel specialist Michael DeFreitas to reveal the secrets of attention-grabbing images. Our PHOTO News team travelled the world to bring you an issue filled with exotic images. Dr. Wayne Lynch took a bumpy flight into the Falkland Islands to photograph penguins, and Tony Beck went to the tropical rainforest to show us how to shoot hummingbirds. Kristian Bogner took a different approach, pushing the limits of new technology in his article on high ISO imaging. With all of these great ideas for images, we asked Michelle Valberg to show readers the art of photo décor– giving us some very impressive ideas for printing, framing and displaying our best work.

More than 100,000 readers across Canada will share this issue of PHOTO News–it will be the largest circulated photo magazine in Canadian history… and we are delighted to provide a forum for our readers to display their work–through our Reader’s Gallery and PHOTO News Challenge sections, and on our flickr® group.

Win a Trip to Hong Kong!

Hong Kong, Asia’s “World City” offers a multitude of experiences… there is something for everyone! The PHOTO News team explored Hong Kong in April to create images to inspire readers to participate in our 25th Anniversary Challenge–“The World Through My Lens”. Our team, comprising photographers Michelle Valberg, Kristian Bogner and Michael DeFreitas, toured the scenic locations to compile a spectacular portfolio of images which will appear in a special section of PHOTO News–Fall 2016. Hong Kong is one of the most dynamic cities on earth– and one of the easiest to navigate. With over 150 years of colonial influence woven into 5,000 years of Chinese culture, this city offers you the opportunity to experience a vibrant living culture featuring a unique fusion where ‘east-meets-west’. Hong Kong has fantastic shopping. Only minutes from the city centre, you can discover stunning natural beauty, gorgeous views, idyllic islands and serene beaches. Every corner in Hong Kong is filled with a surprise! With so much to see and do, Hong Kong offers a fantastic holiday experience that you’ll remember for your lifetime as you share your photos and memories with family and friends.

PHOTO News Volume 25, Number 2  /  Summer 2016

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Cover photo by Johan Sorensen Lumix GH 4, Leica 42 mm 1.2 lens, 200 ISO, 1/160 second, f/8. Lighting - 64-inch soft box.

© 2016 PHOTO News Magazine, Zak Media Printed in Canada • ISSN 1185-3875

Publisher Jacques Dumont  [email protected] Editor Norm Rosen  [email protected] Graphic Design Jean-Denis Boillat  [email protected] Photo Editor André Dal Pont Contributing writers/photographers Dr. Wayne Lynch, Kristian Bogner, Michelle Valberg, Michel Roy, Eric Stewart, Michael DeFreitas, Tony Beck, Johan Sorensen, Christian Autotte, Peter Burian

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40040669 Undeliverables to: Photo News Magazine 22 Telson Road, Markham, ON  L3R 1E5

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PHOTO News is published four times per year (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) by Zak Media, and distributed to imaging and adventure enthusiasts throughout Canada. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material appearing­in this magazine in any form is forbidden without prior consent of the publisher. SUBSCRIPTIONS – Address change Visit www.PHOTO News.ca or contact : PHOTO News Magazine 22 Telson Road • Markham, ON  L3R 1E5

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4  PHOTO News

Contents

32 PORTFOLIO

Johan Sorensen The Fine Art of Fashion Photography Paint girl. Lumix GH 4, Leica 42mm 1.2 lens, 200 ISO, 1/160 second, f/8. Lighting - 64 inch soft box.

12

22

26

SPECIAL REPORT

MICHEL ROY

WAYNE LYNCH - DESTINATIONS

Canadians win big in the Sony World Photography Contest

The Magic of Points of View

Falkland Island adventure

40

PERSPECTIVES Kristian Bogner – High ISO technique Pushing the limits

MICHAEL DEFREITAS – SHOOTING TIPS Drawing attention with frames and leading lines.

46

MICHELLE VALBERG – CANADIAN ANGLES Photo décor - Printing, framing and displaying your work TECHNIQUE - LET IT RAIN! Christian Autotte - Foul weather photography

50 56

IN THE FIELD Tony Beck – Hummingbird photography ERIC STEWART - PRINTING 101 Working with printing ICC

60 64

6  PHOTO News New Products

New Softbox Grids from Aurora Lite Bank

Image 1: with grid

Image 2: no grid

Aurora Lite Bank has re-defined the softbox grid. Available for Square, Rectangular, Octa and TERA softboxes, Aurora Lite Bank soft grids (also called “egg crates” or “louvres”) will fit the most common softbox sizes.

You can quickly install or remove a soft grid to create a new look in seconds. Let’s take a look at the results:

Photographers love softboxes for the appealing catchlights, and their ability to direct and wrap light around the subject with soft, smooth shadow transitions. But what if you want a slightly harsher, more contrasty look? More defined shadows? More directional light? 50° soft grids from Aurora Lite Bank attach easily with heavy-duty Velcro™. The grid directs more light forward with less “wrap”.

Image 1 was taken with an Aurora Lite Bank Firefly XL 120 and LUVO120 grid; Image 2 was shot without the grid. The shadow on the background is more pronounced and the shadows on the face are deeper with transitions that are more contrasty. Looking at the closer portraits taken with the Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 di VC USD (Images 3 and 4), the contrast and sculpting are more apparent with the grid installed, while the shadow behind the subject is greatly reduced without the grid. Using soft grids doesn’t change the catchlight – the grid is practically invisible. Another great advantage of using a grid with a softbox is that the highlights are still soft – the contrast only applies to the shadows. A beauty dish would create larger, more specular highlights and change the characteristics of the hair. Another great reason to add soft grids to your softboxes is to direct light onto a background without spilling onto your subject, you can also add a grid to your strip light to avoid flare in your lens. Aurora Lite Bank Soft Grids are available now in a range of prices from $115.99 to $699.99, depending on shape and size.

Image 3: no grid

Image 4: with grid

For more details, please visit www.auroralitebank.ca

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VOLUME 25, NO. 2 / SUMMER 2016

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PHOTO News

VOLUME 25, NO. 2 / SUMMER 2016 / $6.98

TONY BECK

Hummingbirds in Flight

PORTFOLIO: JOHAN SORENSEN

The Fine Art of Fashion Photography

MICHELLE VALBERG

Photo Décor

MICHAEL DEFREITAS

Attracting Attention MICHEL ROY

Photo by Johan Sorensen

Points of View and more!

COMPLIMENTARY ISSUE • FREE COPY

Photo: Jacques Dumont

100,000 Canadian photographers receive PHOTO News four times per year – join us as we explore the wonderful world of imaging! FOLLOW US ON THE NET

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Tune in to our NEW YouTube Channel: PHOTONews Canada TV

siros L

cordless, compact, fast and powerful

Made in Switzerland. Inspired by you.

Featuring the latest lithium-ion battery technology, a single 28.8v battery can charge a Siros400L for up to 440 full power flashes!

The ECTC technology from our high-end Scoro and Move powerpacks is added to Siros L to enable flash durations from 1/19,000s (t0.5). Plus it guarantees constant colour temperature over the entire power control range.

Siros L works perfectly with existing broncolor systems - without special adapters. And Siros L can be operated with the free “bronControl” app for seamless integration with Siros and Siros S. Without the app, Siros L is still simple and intuitive to use with the “Twist Function” rotary controller. Siros L is available now as single monolights or in a complete kit with backpack, umbrella and softbox.

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with optimum colour temperature 1/400s (1/1’200s) 0.03 – 1.2 s

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with optimum colour temperature 1/250s (1/700s) 0.03 – 2.7 s

220 at full power

up to 9 f-stops 2 – 400w/s

up to 9 f-stops 4 – 800w/s

32 × 13 × 18 cm

36 × 13 × 18 cm

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3.7kg (8.1 lbs)

4.3kg (9.5 lbs)

www.broncolor.ca

10  PHOTO News New Products

Matte Box Kit

Genus has introduced a new all-in-one Production Matte Box Kit that covers nearly all the camera/lens requirements for media acquisition. Designed for lenses from 52mm to 114mm, this versatile system is ideal for the latest generation of larger sensor cameras as well as broadcast and film cameras. The Matte Box can be used in Clip-On Mode or Bar Mounted. It features two filter stages - the front filter tray is fixed and the rear tray rotates 360 degrees, ideal for graduated and polarizing filters. The rotating filter tray can be locked in a set position. The Swing Away Mounting Bracket port/dock is attached to the Rayshade, for easy access to the lens.

Solar Eclipse ND Fader

The new Genus Solar Eclipse ND Fader represents the next generation in camera accessories - a dual purpose filter comprising a variable Neutral Density filter and a Circular Polarizer - ideal for both photography and videography, you can now carry one filter instead of two! The easily rotatable rings allow you to fine-tune the amount of light entering your lens and the Circular Polarizer element rotates to find the perfect position of polarization. This lets you expand your creative options. You can create motion blur in your photos by increasing exposure with ease - or enhance your videos by reducing depth of field to achieve the “film look”. Optical glass elements are HD laser treated. The super-thin expanded front element minimizes vignetting. The Genus Solar Eclipse ND Fader features Variable Neutral Density from 2-8 stops, superior colour fidelity and optical clarity, and a rotational extension handle. Available June 2016 in 77mm For information please visit www.genustech.ca

Breathing Color Allure

The Production Matte Box Kit includes: • • • • • • • •

Production Matte Box Rayshade Top Flag (optional Side Flags) 2 x Filter Trays (rear tray 3600 fully rotatable) 15mm Rod to Matte Box Mount Bracket (Centre to Centre 60mm) 114mm DoNut 82mm ScrewIn Adapter Ring Interface DoNut 82mm to 114mm Set of 82mm StepUp Rings (52mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm)

Available now. For information please visit www.genustech.ca

With the new Breathing Color Allure aluminum photo panels you now can create metal prints with your inkjet printer. Using ­archival inks, the images will last 100+ years. Available now at affordable prices! For more information check out the video at www.breathingcolor.ca/introducing-allure and visit the website at www.breathingcolor.ca

Unretouched image shot with the Olympus PEN-F and M.Zuiko 25mm f1.8 using Color Profile 2 by Olympus Visionary John Sterling Ruth.

MYTH: Film is dead.

TRUTH: It’s been reincarnated in a digital camera. The art of film photography is back. The Olympus PEN-F lets you shoot spectacular film-like images. Just use the monochrome and color profiles to capture shots with all the warmth and graininess you’d find from a photo taken decades ago. A vast array of artistic features coupled with customizable dials gives you on-the-fly creative control. The PEN-F. Capture the world in vintage style.

OLYMPUS PEN-F communication logo

Rediscover the beauty of film at getolympus.com/PENF

20151016

12  PHOTO News

2016 SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS     BY PETER K. BURIAN

Canadian Photographer Scores Major Wins The ninth annual Sony World Photography Competition received a record-breaking 230,103 entries from 186 countries for the Professional, Open & Youth, and National categories. The major category winners were announced at the awards gala in London, UK on April 21 - I was fortunate to attend to cover the event for PHOTO News. During the evening, the winning single images and photo essays were displayed with accompanying interviews with the photographers and the honorary judges. Naturally, the greatest media interest focused on L’Iris D’Or Photographer of the Year award recipient Asghar Khamesh and his Fire of Hatred series - shocking portraits of the victims of acid attacks in his native Iran who have maintained their pride and dignity in spite of disfigurement.

The Canadian Connection

For the first time in the history of the Awards, a single photographer, Kevin Frayer, achieved a “double win”, taking two of the 14 Professional categories. Originally from Winnipeg and now based in Beijing, Frayer is an award-winning photojournalist with Getty Images, During his career he has held positions such as National photographer at the Canadian Press, and Chief Photographer for AP in Jerusalem and New Delhi. Frayer won first prize in the Environment category award for his series, Eagle Hunters of Western China featuring ethnic Kazakhs who follow ancient rules of falconry on horseback. This photo essay has been featured in multi-page spreads in the print or on-line publications of MacLean’s, The Guardian, Washington Post, Time and others.

Frayer also won First Prize in the People category, with his series Nomadic Life Threatened on the Tibetan Plateau, covering the threat to the lifestyle of these people in Western China caused by forced resettlement, climate change and rapid modernization. Frayer also took 2nd place in another Professional category, Contemporary Issues, with his photo essay China’s Coal Dependence A Challenge For Climate.

Covering the Minorities of Asia

The day after the ceremony, I caught up with Kevin Frayer at the neoclassical (16th Century) Somerset House exhibit featuring the Award’s many winning images. He was definitely appreciative of the awards. “Any time your work is recognized, it’s exciting; I’m thrilled. The level of this competition is incredibly high. Every year I see work that, to me, is exceptional, and Sony is putting a great deal behind it, giving prizes to winners, cameras to educational institutions and so on.”

Summer 2016 13 

Both of Frayer’s winning photo essays featured minorities in China and he agrees that this is a definite trend in his work. “I am very interested in such stories. I try to focus a lot on issues such as the lives of the Tibetans and the ethnic Kazakh. My interest concerns their survival in a fast-paced country that is not always kind to minorities. The fact that these cultures still exist is worth documenting. We are watching cultures die off by the day; in the development process there should not be a loss of culture, language, and traditions.” “The point of photojournalism, for me, is to tell great stories, to speak to people, to remind them that eagle hunters still exist in the mountains of Qinghe County, for example. It’s urgent. Any chance we have to document cultures that are on the edge, that is important work. It connects people to the past.” 

The 2017 Awards In June, the World Photography Organization will begin accepting entries for the 2017 Sony Awards on their Web site, www.worldphoto. org. There is no charge for entering, and the WPO invites photographers at various levels to submit either their best single shots or series of work in the National, Youth, Open or Professional level competition. In addition to recognition, winners receive either cash prizes or some of the latest Sony digital imaging equipment, depending on the level entered. Kevin Frayer 1st Place series Environmental category

Canada National Awards

The National category honoured the work of photographers in 61 countries. The first place award for Canada was taken by Vancouver’s Kathryn Mussallem’s Sailor in the Spotlight, a black and white photo depicting sailors partying in their service dress white uniforms. She won a Sony full-frame a7R II body and a Sony Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 AF lens. Second place went to Allan Oman from Northern Ontario for Fox Pup, and the third-place winner was Luis Portelles from Laval, Quebec, for a colourful graphic shot titled Mondrianish. I had an opportunity to chat with Mussallem, an exhibiting photographer and instructor at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, about her 5 year project of photographing the U.S. Navy. She describes her work as follows. “The winning image from my series was that perfect moment on an overfilled dance floor in a sweaty Bourbon Street bar overrun by sailors during Fleet Week… an invasion of nostalgia and bravado.” Mussallem often photographs such events. “Camera in hand, I put on my bright red lipstick, slip on my red high heels, and hit the street; I see these boys in white and with giddy excitement I approach… ’Hey sailor! new in town?’ ”

A young Tibetan Buddhist novice monk stands with his yak herd at the family's nomadic summer grazing area on July 23, 2015 on the Tibetan Plateau in Yushu County, Qinghai, China. Tibetan nomads face many challenges to their traditional way of life including political pressures, forced resettlement by China's government, climate change and rapid modernization.

Canada’s winner in the National category… First Place Kathryn Mussallem’s Sailor in the Spotlight

LUMIX CAMERAS

LOCATION SHOOTING WITH PANASONIC LUMIX

By Johan Sorensen

Johan Sorensen has been a photographer for over 25 years, doing various types of commercial work, both in the studio and on location. The daily life of a professional photographer is extremely challenging, especially when you are shooting on location. You have to make sure you bring everything you could possibly need in case things don’t go as planned. However, I work with a small team so I am always trying to balance weight against necessity. Over the last 10 years cameras have become more compact and lightweight while maintaining image quality. Three years ago, I was introduced to Panasonic Lumix Mirrorless cameras. I quickly realized that the size and weight were absolutely amazing. I could carry a pro level body with two to three lenses for an entire day without suffering back and neck pain. The weight of my camera bag had diminished by more than 80 percent. This made traveling professionally for photography a much easier task. Getting through customs and on the plane is a breeze.

The Dual Image Stabilization on the Panasonic Lumix GX8 and GX85 has changed my shooting style yet again. I no longer have to rely on using a tripod to get clear, crisp shots. The hand shake compensation is incredibly advanced and I can shoot up to four stops slower with the GX85 than previous models. This means I can hand hold my cameras while on location and not worry about the stability. Plus eliminating the tripod in tight shooting areas gives me more space for lights and other necessary gear. When I first tried the Lumix system, it took me a few days to get used to it, but now I am a dedicated convert. The Panasonic Lumix brand bodies combined with Leica lenses are definitely a good choice. It’s now my “go to” brand both personally and professionally. Lumix has put the fun back into photography for me.

Shop.Panasonic.ca/Lumix

THE POWER OF PANASONIC LUMIX No one wants Shaky Shots. That’s a fact. The LUMIX GX85 incorporates a new 5-axis Dual Image Stabilizer for more effective suppression of blur. This feature combines Body Stabilization plus Lens Stabilization for crisp handheld shots every time. The Dual I.S. is ideal for both wide-angle and telephoto modes, as well as challenging night shots and one-handed shooting. The 5-axis Dual I.S. works in both photo and motion picture recording including 4K video. Say goodbye to blur with the Panasonic Lumix GX85. Photography © Johan Sorensen

16

Congratulations to the winners of the PHOTO News “A Shot in the Dark” Challenge, who participated in the contest thread at our flickr® group at www.flickr.com/groups/PHOTO Newsgallery/ Our winning photographer will receive a special prize – a Lumix LX100 from Panasonic Canada, our PHOTO News Challenge sponsor for 2016. You could be the winner of the next PHOTO News Challenge and have your photo published in the Autumn issue – for more information please see page 66.

Winner

Luigi’s Place

Lou Montana, of Newmarket Ontario, shot this Venice scene with a Nikon D7100, handheld, using a 50 mm f/1.8 lens at 1/15 second, f/13, ISO 4000. “This calm street scene shows another side of Venice; far from the hustle and bustle of the tourist zone.” 

Dan Sedran of Toronto, Ontario, captured this image of “Warp Speed” with a Sony A7 and 16-35 f4 lens, shooting at 30 seconds, f/5.6, ISO 100. “I really wanted to convey a sense of speed and perspective from the driver’s point of view”.

Summer 2016  17 

Watching from a Rooftop Jean-Philippe Castonguay of Montreal, Quebec, shot this image after finding higher ground looking toward Coal Harbour in Vancouver. “I used a Nikon D600 with an 18-35mm wide angle lens at 18mm, 30 seconds exposure, f/16, ISO 320.”  Origami Flight Stéphane Germain of Montréal, Québec, captured this image of an origami montage with a Sony A6000 and Zeiss E 16-70mm/4.0 lens, shooting hand held at 16mm, 1/40 second, f/4, ISO 640. “This delicate and intricate paper spiral was suspended in the Japanese pavilion during Montreal’s Botanical Garden most recent Gardens of Light exhibition, in October 2015”.

Millennium Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, London Michael Elkan, of Vancouver, photographed this image with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and an EF240105mm f/L IS USM at 32mm, 4 seconds, f/22, ISO 3200. “This ‘shot in the dark’ was challenging. This footbridge over the River Thames is often crowded and vibrates when people are walking past the tripod location. To minimize loss of definition the shot was timed for a moment when the pedestrians were over the bridge supports, where there is less structural movement. The 4-second shutter speed enables some desirable motion blur of the people at the perspective point in the composition.”

Palais des Congrès Bruno Bouchard, of Quebec City, photographed the Palais des Congrès in Montreal with a Leica M8 with Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH lens, shooting at 1 second, f/4.0, ISO 160. “I thought this angle of view, from behind the trees, was an interesting way to show the layers of coloured glass of the Palais des Congrès subway entrance and how the light brightens the leaves on the trees.”

18  PHOTO News

Reader’s GALLERY

Each issue, PHOTO News presents a gallery of spectacular images from our readers, as posted in the pool at the flickr® group. To view the full array of images from PHOTO News readers, please visit the pool at www.flickr.com/groups/PHOTO Newsgallery/pool

Making Memories Brad James of Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, captured this image of a sea stack at sunrise in Chance Cove, NL using a Nikon D610 and 24-70mm lens at 24mm, shooting at f/13, 1 second exposure, ISO 100. "I used the rocks and wave motion as a leading line into the image and waited for the perfect moment when the sun peeked over the rocks to create a sun burst".

Buntzen Lake Dan Jokic of New Westminster, BC captured this image of Buntzen Lake in Anmore, BC with a Sony A6000, shooting at 1/250 second and f/8.0, ISO 100.  “It was one of those wonderful foggy spring mornings”.

Images featured in the PHOTO News Reader’s Gallery are selected from the photo pool at the PHOTO News flickr® group – why not take a look, join the group, and post a few pictures! www.flickr.com/groups/PHOTO Newsgallery/

Summer 2016  19  Upwards Flight Eric Rossicci, of Surrey, B.C., captured this image with a Canon lDX and 500mm Canon prime lens, shooting at 1/800 second, f/4, ISO 1200. “I took this shot at Boundary Bay in Ladner B.C. as the sun was setting, and this Eagle who was perched on a stump decided to take flight. I had my eye on him all the time waiting for his next move, he didn't disappoint me and suddenly took off. I was ready for it and took the shot. I was lucky as his wing covered the setting sun, allowing a proper exposure. I worked on this image with Corel Photopaint 8 and finished off with ACDSee Pro 6”.

Blue Morpho Susy Coutu from L’Assomption, Quebec, captured this image of a Blue Morpho butterfly with her Nikon D750, a Nikon 105mm macro lens, a Nikon 1.4x teleconverter, and a macro ring flash, using spot metering and shooting at 1/125 second, f/22, ISO 200. “The Montreal Botanical Garden is a great place for shooting macro”.

Waiting for Sunrise Alex Bruce of Toronto captured this image while on vacation on the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize, using a Canon 5D MKIII and 16-35mm f/4 lens at 27mm, on a tripod, shooting at f/4, 30 seconds, ISO 100. “Every morning I would get up early to see what spectacular sunrise we’d be blessed with. Typically there would be clouds dancing over the horizon which would get backlit with the rising sun. This particular image was shot at 5:15 in the morning while waiting for the sunrise about 15 min later.  I used a NDX8 filter and a Polarizing Filter to enable a slow shutter speed producing the calm waters. Contrast was adjusted in Photoshop.”

Photo Challenge “The World Through  “The World Through My Lens” is a travel themed contest open to all Canadian photo enthusiasts. Your assignment – to photograph the sights and scenes of your favourite destinations – your subjects could be as close as the view from your front porch or as far as the other side of the world… so grab your camera and get ready for a photo adventure! Hong Kong is one of the world’s premier travel destinations. Enjoy the vibrant culture and exotic flavour of this amazing city. Enter the PHOTO News “The World Through my Lens” contest to win! Contest is open to Canadian residents 18 and older. SUPPORTED BY:

Entries close Oct. 31, 2016. For full contest rules and information please visit hongkong2016.PHOTO News.ca Follow the adventures of our team of Canadian Nikon professionals Kristian Bogner, Michael DeFreitas, and Michelle Valberg – online and in the pages of PHOTO News magazine, as they explore the wonders of Hong Kong and share a wealth of knowledge on the techniques of travel photography. Check out the special section of 16 pages in the Fall issue of PHOTO News showcasing the amazing sights of Hong Kong.

My Lens”

A TRAVEL THEMED PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST CELEBRATING OUR 25th ANNIVERSARY

GRAND PRIZE

Return economy airfare for two from a major airport in Canada to Hong Kong courtesy of Cathay Pacific; 4 nights accommodation in Hong Kong courtesy of The Langham Hong Kong; selected tours courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board; a Nikon D5500 with a  18-55mm VR II Lens Kit and a Vanguard Kinray 53 Purple Backpack (Model VAK53PR) and Vanguard VEO 234 Monopod (Model VAVEOAM234). Total approximate retail value of the grand prize is $7500.

SECOND PRIZE

A Nikon COOLPIX AW130 and a Vanguard Kinray 48 Purple Backpack (Model VAK48PR). Total approximate retail value of the second prize is $590.

THIRD PRIZE

A Nikon COOLPIX AW130 and a Vanguard Kinray 43 Purple Sling bag (Model VAK43PR). Total approximate retail value of the third prize is $510. For more information on Hong Kong, visit DiscoverHongKong.com

22  PHOTO News

Special Feature  |  The Magic of... BY MICHEL ROY

Points Of View In many situations the difference between a snapshot and a spectacular image can be as simple as changing your point of view. No, we don’t want you to alter your political preferences, or change your philosophy on the origin of life or the question of global warming–to achieve better photos we just want you to view your subject from a variety of perspectives. Editor Norm often tells readers to “dance around the subject”, looking for different angles of view, changing lighting conditions, and the interaction between the subject and the surrounding environment.

Tennis from a Bird’s Eye View On assignment to shoot a professional tennis match, I asked permission to use the press catwalk so I could shoot from roof level. It was a blast to see the images I could take from this unusual angle. In a situation like this, if it is safe for you and your equipment, go for it!

Bio

Michel Roy, from Quebec City, is the owner of Digital Direct Photos & Videos, specializing in a full range of photography and video from corporate assignments to weddings. For a visual adventure, visit the website at www.digitaldirect.ca.

Summer 2016  23 

I run through a quick checklist for every photo opportunity as I approach the subject: how does the subject look from a high angle; from a low angle; would it be better to show the subject as it relates to the surrounding environment, or zoom in for a close-up; are there elements in the scene that add to or detract from the composition; can I take advantage of leading lines or colourful elements to draw the viewer’s eye to the main subject? All of these questions, and more, flash through my mind as I prepare to create some POV magic. In the classical era of photography, most images were shot from ground level up to the photographer’s eye level; today, with people shooting iPhone “selfies”, GoPros capturing images from angles that are only possible with remote triggered cameras, and drones buzzing around to capture a bird’s eye view, people are used to seeing the world from an entirely new perspective. To compete with these extraordinary new perspectives, the creative photographer has to be prepared to use a range of techniques and equipment– with the goal of producing an image that captures the magic of the moment.

Here are my favourite ways to use the magic of POV to create great images:

Juxtaposition Shooting a subject from a different angle will have more impact than the typical view encountered in everyday life. Lying on the ground and looking up at a dog will have much more visual impact than looking down on the dog. An eye-level shot of a bird is always going to be more powerful than looking up at a bird perched in a tree.

Shooting From Eye Level Shooting an image from eye level is the easiest way to emotionally connect a viewer to your photo. This is by far the most frequently used POV technique for portraits and environmental photos of people.

Become the Subject Explore the perspective of a scene from your subject’s point of view. This means that you shoot the action from the angle of the subject. For example, imagine a Grand Prix racer’s view of the track–and apply the concept to a wide variety of situations. This is a simple but very effective approach to many photo opportunities. Hotel Normandie through Percé Rock On a corporate assignment, The Normandie Hotel in Gaspé asked me to shoot some fresh photos for an advertising campaign. The hotel has been photographed many times from the beach, but the owner was delighted to see the property from a different perspective. One of the main attractions of this hotel is the view of the Percé Rock. The lighting and the time of the day was crucial to the image, so I took a boat out just before noon to have light on the right side of my subject, and I shot lots of pictures with my telephoto lens so the hotel appears right in the middle of the Percé Rock.

24  PHOTO News Michel Roy  |  Special Feature

Shoot from Below Shooting from a low perspective will make the subject appear important; it will tend to dominate the composition. A low shooting angle also gives the illusion of being inside the frame, especially if the angle is really dramatic.

Shoot from Above Shooting from above a subject allows the viewer to feel superior to, or protective of the subject. This is often used for animal or pet photography, but rarely used for children or adults.

Which lens to use? I personally don’t think that any one lens holds the magic formula for great POV photography. If you use your imagination, any lens can be used to create a variety of perspectives in a wide range of situations.

Crazy angle! I have lots of photos of Northern gannets flying. If you visit Bonaventure Island in Quebec you can see more than 250,000 birds in a small area! You can take the same picture as everyone else, or you can search for a fresh perspective. I used a telephoto lens to capture the birds in flight, and then I switched to a 15mm lens to take photos of the birds as they flew just a few feet above my head. Make sure you do not disturb the natural environment or the animals, but if you have access to a cool angle, go for it!

Wide angle fun On a photo journey with my friend and fellow photographer Johnny Day, we were having fun with ice melting on a spring day. The light was harsh but I brought a couple of Speedlights that I used in wireless remote mode. I didn’t bring any light stands, I just used my imagination and placed the flash units on the ground or anywhere it would be possible to make them stand solid. At one point, Johnny found a piece of hockey stick and began to play the goalie; I lay flat on the ground to capture a cool angle and effect. The light from the remote flash helped separate the subject from the background, and to finish the art work, I turned the colour image into a black and white print.

Summer 2016  25 

We know that using a wide angle lens for a portrait will distort the image, but sometimes the result can be very dramatic or very humorous. All Canadians have seen the view from a “goal cam” at a hockey game, the camera angle from the roof at a basketball game, or even the underwater images from a swim meet. The magic of using POV to create interesting images can add a different perspective to your overall set of images for any assignment–so take a few minutes to look at the world from a bird’s eye view, from the eye level of a small child, through a window–like an outsider looking in on a scene, from the roof, from the ground… finding interesting points of view can be a challenge but the results can be a lot of fun!

Practical Tips for POV Pictures It is always a good idea to have a remote shutter trigger in your bag. Wireless or not, it can be very useful when you want to place your camera in an awkward position. If you don’t have a remote, use the camera’s selftimer function, it could save the day! Make sure that you are careful with your equipment, and your own safety– it is not worth taking risks just to create photos from unusual angles. Most of the time I shoot in Manual mode, but Aperture priority is a good choice for unusual camera locations, as long as you make sure you have plenty of shutter speed to ensure a sharp image. I always carry a mini tripod–it can be ideal for a wide variety of POV setups. Don’t forget your polarizer, ND filter, spare batteries, cards and all the necessary gear for your camera bag.

Quebec Bird’s Eye View from the Roof at Fairmont Château Frontenac The Chateau Frontenac is on top of Cap Diamante in Quebec City. From the top floor and with security authorisation, you can make astonishing images of the city. It feels like being in an airplane. Make sure to ask the security staff of the hotel for permission, and for suggestions as you plan your photos. If you approach the assignment in the right way, there is a good chance you will get access.

26  PHOTO News

Photo Destination BY WAYNE LYNCH

Falkland Islands Adventure

Summer 2016  27  Landing Blue-eyed Cormorant

A sign on the wall of the small airport advised travellers not to bother the pilot with conversation while he was flying the plane, and not to vomit in his lap. Having been airsick on many occasions when bouncing around in small planes, I noted the advice with special interest and started to search for a handy lunch bag. Moments later, our little red Islander aircraft was bucking and lurching its way above the choppy waters of Falkland Sound. Our destination was Sea Lion Island, one the Falkland’s 700 or so windswept isles. These remote treeless islands are clustered in the South Atlantic, 350 kilometers east of Tierra Del Fuego at the southern tip of South America. During the 40-minute bounce-and-dip, we traversed much of the eastern half of the Falklands archipelago and I was treated to the Islands’ remarkable diversity of landscapes: jagged rocky pinnacles, blue-water lakes and ponds, deeply indented coastlines, wave-sculpted cliffs, and great swaying forests of offshore kelp. But it wasn’t the stunning scenery of the Falklands that had drawn me 12,600 kilometres from home. I am a lifelong critter junkie and it was the Islands’ thrilling wildlife I wanted to photograph. My first trip to the Falklands in 1992 was the beginning of my 25-year love affair with penguins. Since then, I have returned to the islands more than a dozen times and have written six books on these popular charismatic “cool birds”. A recent tourism brochure justifiably boasts that the Falkland Islands is a destination “where nature is still in charge”. One of the most remarkable features of the islands is the inspiring array of wildlife – gargantuan elephant seals, quarrelsome sea lions, unruly penguin colonies, sleek Commerson’s dolphins, and pods of predatory killer whales to name just a few. The greatest delight about photographing in the Falklands is that the birds and animals are extremely tame and easy to observe.

Gentoo Penguins Squabbling

Where else can you walk to within a few meters of raucous penguins, elegant albatrosses and super-sized seal pups without them moving away. In fact, some of the animals, including the penguins, will even investigate you as a harmless curiosity. It is a photographer’s dream–especially when you consider that fewer tourists stroll the serene shorelines of the Falklands annually than visit the CN Tower in Toronto in a single day. Sea Lion Island, a mere 8 kilometres long and half as wide, was a sheep farm but due to the decline in the global wool market farming became uneconomical. Today, the entire island is a national nature reserve. The single hotel on Sea Lion caters to no more than 20 people at a time, and visitors can expect to explore the island in relative solitude. Tussock Grass, Sea Lion Island

Twenty five years ago, my photo decisions were much different than they are today. Then, Fujichrome Velvia, with its low ISO speed of 50, was the film of choice for nature photographers, and in those days I didn’t own any autofocus lenses. Using high shutter speeds to freeze the action was only possible on the sunniest of days. To get sharp images I generally chose subjects which weren’t moving much which explains why I captured a lot of static wildlife portraits. For moving subjects I would sometimes resort to panning with a slow shutter speed. Panned images, typically shot at a shutter speed of 1/60 or less, are never razor sharp but the purposeful blurring creates the illusion of action and was then, and still is today, a creative and successful photographic technique. Back then, when I tried to freeze the action of a fast-moving subject – an elephant seal erupting from the surf, an albatross flaring its wings on landing, or two penguins fighting on the beach – I failed miserably most of the time. In those days, when wildlife photographers tried to sell poorly-focused action shots we often joked that our blurry images were intentional and that we were simply striving for a more artistic interpretation of the subject. Not surprisingly, editors rarely bought that story or the images that went with it.

Summer 2016  29  Wayne Lynch  |  Photo Destination

Black-crowned Night-heron Fishing

King Penguins About to Mate

Today, on my trips to the Falklands, I am armed with highly sensitive digital cameras and ultra-fast autofocus lenses and I avidly search for any subject where there is some action I can freeze. Any manner of dynamic behaviour is always more interesting than a static subject. Yawning, grooming, calling, stretching, flapping, running, flying, fighting, eating; all of these appealing behaviours provide a deeper window into an animal’s life. When a photograph freezes such actions, the viewer gets to closely examine a moment in time, a moment that normally escapes detection by the human eye. Such photographs are often filled with delightful discoveries which further enhance the beauty of the experience. To succeed in capturing interesting behaviour I follow two rules: try to anticipate the action and, just as in real estate, pick a promising location. Skill at anticipating behaviour comes with understanding. My success as a wildlife photographer often results from my detailed knowledge of an animal’s life and much of that knowledge comes from reading and library research. For example, because I know how a female penguin signals her readiness to mate, I’m always ready to capture the moment when cupid comes calling, even when the event lasts just a few seconds. When a bird or animal first wakes up after a rest, you should be ready for some action. Often, they may yawn, stretch, or groom which creates a more exciting photograph than a subject snoozing in the sunshine.

30  PHOTO News Wayne Lynch  |  Photo Destination

Mating Elephant Seals

Even though a shutter speed of 1/1000 second will freeze most action, the minimum I generally try to use is 1/1600 second.

Bio

Selecting a promising location where action is likely to occur seems pretty obvious, but I don’t know how many times I have been lured to a penguin colony to capture pleasing close-up portraits and realized later that I had missed all the action as birds struggled to come ashore on a wave-battered coastline, or evaded a hunting leopard seal, or reacted to a lurking giant petrel, or fought with a rival over a landing site. By consciously considering different factors such the sun direction, the impact of wind on behaviour, and likely travel routes and bottlenecks you’ll be more successful at capturing memorable images. The take-home message this month is a simple one, wait for behaviour then freeze the action.

Author Wayne Lynch is one of Canada’s foremost wildlife and nature photographers. His latest book, the 58th of his career, entitled Penguins: The World’s Coolest Birds, will be released by Firefly Books in October 2016.

Rockhopper Penguins Calling

32  PHOTO News

Portfolio

JOHAN SORENSEN

The Fine Art of Fashion Photography PHOTO News readers will be familiar with the work of photographer Johan Sorensen, whose images have been featured in several of the Panasonic advertising campaigns appearing in the magazine and a range of Canadian media. Johan recently shared his experiences shooting 4K video in a special feature in the Autumn 2015 issue.

Born in Sweden, Johan spent much of his childhood in Paris where he discovered his interest for photography. Moving to Canada at age 20, Johan studied photography at Humber College of Art, and soon found success as a commercial photographer, which gave him the opportunity to pursue his own artistic style. Johan’s photographs have been exhibited throughout North America and Europe garnering international acclaim. The winner of many awards, including Best Commercial Photographer of the Year (Awarded by Kodak), Winner of French Photo’s Charm Category Annual Contest (published in French Photo as a cover), and the Best in Class Award for Figure Study by PPO, among many other awards. Johan’s work has also been published in countless magazines including PHOTO SELECTION, French PHOTO and PHOTO News. For more than 18 years, Johan has shared his skill and his love of photography with students at Humber College in Toronto. Constantly perfecting his craft, his efforts as a photography instructor were recently acknowledged when he received the Continuing Education Teaching Excellence Award from Humber College for his outstanding work. We asked Johan to share a few of his favourite images, and his thoughts on professional fashion photography.

Bio

For more images and an update on current projects, follow Johan Sorensen on Facebook www.facebook.com/JohanSorensenPhotography

Summer 2016 33 

Cloud photo I shot this using the sunlight and contrast of the cloud as a natural backdrop. 1/800 second, f/16, ISO 200.

34  PHOTO News Ice Queen I used a 64-inch soft box and a Speedotron. f/8, 1/160 second, ISO 200.

The art of photography has been a Sorensen family tradition for three generations. My grandfather was an avid photographer and my mother, like her father, enjoyed photography and was constantly taking family photos. I picked up my first camera when I was 10 years old; my father brought home the latest 35mm film camera and after a few failed attempts, he gave up and tossed it aside. Curious, I took the camera in my hands and commenced shooting alongside my mother. A year later, my little sister was born and she became my first and life-long model. My grandfather’s camera sits on my shelf alongside all of the film cameras that I have used. My two main areas of interest are commercial and fashion photography. Commercial photography enabled me to master the technical skills needed to become a successful photographer. The most important of these skills are the ability to create a strong composition, understanding the goals of product photography, and the art of lighting techniques that evoke emotional reactions that we often refer to as “image impact”.

Fashion photography has allowed me to express my creativity and love for fashion, which I carried with me to Canada, but began as a child growing up in Paris. It is important when working in fashion photography to have an understanding of the fashion industry. I worked as fashion model when I was a child at the age of 10. Being immersed in the fashion industry, I began learning about the different garments and how to interpret them to get a certain look or design. On the location set, I would observe how the photographer would use different lighting techniques and incorporate light boxes to get a certain look. I could see all the work and preparation that went into creating and setting up the proper environment and composition, although at the time, I didn’t know that is what they were doing. I just loved being a part of it.

Summer 2016 35  Portfolio | Johan Sorensen

Blue Girl Lumix GX8, Leica 42 mm 1.2, f/8, 1/160 second, ISO 200.

36  PHOTO News When you work as a fashion photographer, it is important to have solid background knowledge of the classic looks, plus the trends of today and the future. This will help you to evolve as a photographer, always working at the leading edge of the medium. Fashion and the image impact can be in today, but look tacky tomorrow. If a hairstyle is too trendy, or the model’s makeup or dress length is dated, these type of details can impact your image and make it look like yesterday’s news. You want to pick clothing styles and universal themes and composition that will make your image timeless. In Europe, the designers like to take a lot of risks with their designs. They are not afraid to create controversial pieces. A lot of the clothing is sexy and many times influenced by the art and architecture that is found in Europe. Art such as paintings, sculptures, and architecture influences fashion. The design, its shape, colour and the mood or style being created is often inspired from the environment. In North America, the fashion is much more conservative and consumer friendly.

In Europe, the designers like to take a lot of risks with their designs.

Fan Girl Photographed with a Lumix GX8 Lens Leica 42 mm 1.2, f/8, 1/160 second, ISO 200, using a 22-inch silver dish from the side and two lights on background.

Hoopa Girl I used a 64-inch soft box and two lights on the background, f/8, 1/160 second, ISO 200.

Summer 2016 37  Portfolio | Johan Sorensen As a fashion photographer it is important to know how culture impacts fashion and many of the trends that are created. What is happening politically, socially, or economically within a country or culture influences and can be seen in the latest fashion trends. A perfect example of this was during WWII, when women suddenly became responsible for working in the factories, and the fashion industry started creating boxy, padded jackets and pant suits for the women to wear socially, and this reflected the changing roles of women in North America. Today, you can fly to the Middle East or India and see women wearing colourful, fashionable head scarves that once were more sombre looking. Fashion is always evolving; it is a reflection of life and culture.

Fashion Photography is a Team Effort

A fashion photographer never works alone. The photographer will work with a team which often consists of a fashion stylist, hairstylist, and makeup artist. The team will assist the photographer in executing and creating the image that the photographer wants to portray. I like my fashion images to be simple in technique, but complex and powerful in composition which incorporates lighting.

Trampoline photos Capturing the height of the jump at the apex as the model bounced on a trampoline. I used a 64-inch soft box and two lights on the background, shooting at f/8, 1/160 second, ISO 200.

38  PHOTO News

Portfolio | Johan Sorensen

It is important to have a good connection with your team and to create a comfortable environment for the model, who can then feel free to express herself in order to transmit the message that you, as the photographer, are trying to convey. Sometimes, I don’t need to know the model well, first impressions along with the clothing can shape the image and I use the camera to express my point of view. I use only one camera during the shoot, and one lens, a medium to long zoom.

Red Stockings - I used fill flash with a 36 inch octabox, shooting at f/16, 1/160 second, ISO 200.

Alien Bee, Paul C Buff, Einstein and Vagabond are not CSA approved lighting gear so we have to be very careful not to mention or appear to promote those products.

Lighting

High Heels I shot this photo with the Lumix GM1 and LUMIX G VARIO 12-32mm lens, f/8, 1/160 second, ISO 1600.

I usually use a six foot Octabox and a reflector, or I combine it with 36 inch strip lights and maybe a spot light. I prefer to work with one light only to keep the flow of the shoot and allow me to focus on model and clothing. Simplicity is the key to beauty. My greatest influences have always been Richard Avedon, who was the main fashion photographer for Vogue Magazine from 1966 to 1990; Irving Penn, who was the father of modern fashion photography; and George Hurell, a glamour photographer in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. They have created what we call today, the “modern fashion photography look”. I incorporate their lighting techniques and great composition into my images, learning from the masters themselves is the foundation for fine fashion photography.

40  PHOTO News

Perspectives BY KRISTIAN BOGNER

Taking ISO to the Limit NEW TECHNOLOGY MAKES HIGH ISO PRACTICAL Drummer Girl I shot this image hand held at an incredible ISO 12,800 on the Nikon D5. In order to push the camera ISO and still get a really clean image, I made sure that my exposure was perfect in camera. I focused on the eyes of the girl using single point focus selection to draw the viewer into the image. Nikon D5, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II lens at 130mm, f/4 at 1/400 second at ISO 12800.

ISO

PHOTOGRAPHY

P R A C T I C A L

Bio Kristian Bogner is a commercial, architecture, adventure, fashion, sports photographer, and brand Ambassador for Nikon Canada, Broncolor Canada, and other suppliers. For some inspiration and more pro tips check out kristianbogner.com or attend one of his photography workshops: photographicrockstar. com

ISO Sensitivity–An Introduction In my opinion the biggest advancement in photographic technology within the last few years has been in the ISO capabilities of digital cameras. Photography is built on the three pillars of exposure: shutter speed, aperture and ISO sensitivity. Shutter speed and aperture are controls for adjusting how much light comes into the camera, while how much light is

needed to produce a desired image is determined by the ISO sensitivity of your digital camera sensor. Whenever you double the ISO, for example from 200 to 400, the camera needs only half as much light for the same exposure.

Summer 2016  41 

Too much high ISO noise reduction can soften or over-smooth the image and make it look worse than the original noise. The advantage of a higher ISO is the ability to shoot with less light, for example, indoors, but the disadvantage is an increase in the digital equivalent to film grain which is called “noise.”

Finding Balance and Testing Your Limits Finding a balance between acceptable noise and having enough light to shoot at the shutter speed you need to get a shake-free image is a key component of a technically superior image. Most recent digital cameras can get good results at settings up to 1600 ISO. The king of high ISO cameras, the new Nikon D5, can get images with very little noise well over 12,800 ISO and can shoot up to an incredible 102,400 ISO. On the D5, ISO has become important enough to create a new ISO button on the camera right near the aperture and shutter speed dials so that you can adjust it with the same finger as your aperture and focus, this took me a bit of getting used to, but now I love that I can change ISO so easily and quickly. Get to know your own camera, test it at different ISO settings and find out what your maximum ISO setting is that will still give you acceptable noise for the output you are looking to achieve. Flower Markets of Hong Kong It was raining and I was shooting with one hand and holding an umbrella with the other as I strolled through the beautiful flower markets of Hong Kong. I used an ISO of 2500 to allow me to shoot at a minimum of 1/500 second with enough depth of field to assure that I captured sharp and shake-free images with one hand. I love my new Nikon 2470mm lens, the VR helps with any movement or vibration, the lens is tack sharp and in my opinion feels better and more balanced than its predecessor. Nikon D5, AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR lens at 34mm, f/6.3, 1/500 second, ISO 2500.

High ISO Noise Reduction

Most cameras that have higher ISO settings also have different settings for reducing the amount of noise in the image. I generally start with this setting at LOW or MEDIUM and when really pushing the camera to its limit I switch to HIGH noise reduction.

42  PHOTO News

Man Mo Temple I shot hand-held with a high ISO setting at the beautiful Man Mo Temple in Hong Kong because many temples do not allow tripod use. I set my aperture to f/5.6 to get a lower ISO and used a 14mm focal length for the perspective as well as the great depth of field.  I used in-camera Active D-Lighting set to NORMAL to help make the smoke and other mid-tone details pop. Nikon D5, AFS-Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G lens at 14mm, f/5.6 at 1/80 second, ISO 3200.

Too much high ISO noise reduction can soften or oversmooth the image and make it look worse than the original noise. Again, test these different settings with your camera, zoom in to 100% and evaluate which works best for you. Note that one of the many benefits of shooting in RAW is that you can change your high ISO noise reduction setting after the fact without losing any image quality.

Auto ISO–For Fast Changing Environments

A fantastic feature on many new digital SLR cameras is Auto ISO. You can turn this on to allow you to set your desired shutter speed and aperture and let the ISO automatically adjust to give you the correct meter exposure. You can then use exposure compensation to fine tune your exposure if necessary. This feature is especially helpful when your environment is

Horse Racing Another hand-held shot, I needed an ISO of 8000 in order to be able to shoot at 1/2000 second at 500mm with this big but lightweight lens. At 500mm I would recommend a minimum of 1/2000 second for a sport like horse racing in order to avoid any camera shake and movement from quick panning. A monopod would have been useful in this situation to help balance the lens and reduce any movement. Nikon D5, AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 500mm,f/6.3, 1/2000 second, ISO 8000.

Summer 2016  43  Kristian Bogner | Perspectives

quickly changing. For instance, if you are shooting from a moving vehicle or if fast moving clouds are providing varied sun and cloud shadow conditions or really in any situation where the exposure is dramatically changing very quickly, yet you want to maintain a specific depth of field and shutter speed. Some cameras will also let you manually set a maximum ISO for Auto ISO and it will flash or tell you when you have maxed out on sensitivity settings within your acceptable range and you might need to reduce shutter speed or open up your aperture by a stop or two.

Exposure Precision is Key to Pushing ISO

One of the main things you can do to push your ISO capabilities to the limit is to get perfect exposures right out of the camera. My motto “Excellence-In, Excellence-Out” really holds true here. If you are, for example, shooting at 3200 ISO and have perfect exposure with high ISO noise reduction on MEDIUM, then your image will very likely look quite good. However if you underexpose, even by a stop, and then try to brighten it later in Photoshop or another image editing application, you will really see the noise come out and the result will often be unacceptable for many applications. Noise hides especially in the shadows of your image so try to keep that in mind with your exposure. D-lighting is a fantastic feature but it can also sometimes affect noise levels at very high ISO settings. Try turning D-lighting off or down lower if you are seeing high noise levels.

Lazer The D5’s new focusing system is very accurate shooting in very dark conditions. For this shot I pushed the camera to 10,000 ISO and I set my saturation to FULL in the D5 picture control settings. Nikon D5, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II lens at 90mm, f/4, 1/400 second at ISO 10,000.

44  PHOTO News Kristian Bogner | Perspectives

Bird I knew I would need an extremely fast shutter speed to freeze the bird in action, so I set the camera to 1/4000 second and aperture to f/9 to ensure enough depth of field if the bird moved a different distance from the camera.  I turned the camera to AUTO ISO and the D5 meter set the ISO automatically to 1250. With AUTO ISO you can use exposure compensation if you have to make micro adjustments. Nikon D5, AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II lens at 200mm, f/9, 1/4000 second, AUTO ISO at 1250.

High ISO to Increase Flash Power

As a commercial photographer, high ISO capabilities have been a game changer for me and if you ever shoot with flash it can be for you as well. The same flash at 800 ISO is now 8 times as powerful as it was at 100 ISO. That means that even a single small flash can light up an entire room that at one time only large and very powerful studio lights would have been able to achieve. Additionally, for shoots like fashion photography or weddings, you can shoot with a bit higher ISO and reduce the flash output to preserve battery life and speed up recycle time. I recently did a fashion shoot with my Nikon D5 at 400 ISO and Nikon SB-5000 radio controlled flash at only 1/4 power with a soft box on it and I couldn’t believe how fast it recycled for the entire shoot. High ISO can also make lower cost LED video or continuous tone lights an option for many shoots.

Use ISO to Freeze the Action

High ISO can be a key aspect to getting amazing sports or any fast action images. Don’t be afraid to push your ISO to really stop the action. Remember most fast sports require at least 1/2000 second to freeze the action, especially with a long lens. Increase your ISO to make sure you can get there and follow the other tips in this article to fine tune and check the quality and noise levels to find your perfect balance.

Upgrade

I normally encourage that photographers make the most of their existing equipment, but ISO is one area where cameras are getting better and better each year, even in the base models. If your digital SLR is more than a few years old and you want to really utilize ISO capabilities over 1600 ISO you might want to consider a newer model. I hope this encourages you to take your ISO capabilities to the next level and to get better images with greater ease in any situation. For more fashion photography tips and videos check out Kristian’s photo blog at kristianbogner.com or sign up for one of his photography courses in the Rocky Mountains and throughout Canada at photographicrockstar.com

46  PHOTO News

TECHNIQUE

BY MICHAEL DEFREITAS

Drawing Attention

Utilizing frames and leading lines help to focus attention

Tolimán volcano, Lago de Atitlán, Guatemala. Use of framing on sides and top. Nikon D700, 70mm, f4.5, 1/60 seccond, ISO 200.

Summer 2016  47 

As I waited for the sunrise to wash over Guatemala’s Tolimán Volcano, towering over Lake Atitlán, I reviewed the composition on my camera’s LCD screen. Sandwiched between a large expanse of clear sky and open water, the volcano seemed isolated and unappealing. I needed to find a way to create more interest and focus a viewer’s gaze on the lovely light hitting the top of the volcano.

I relocated my tripod behind a palm tree and composed the shot with a few palm fronds wrapping around the top and sides of the scene. The silhouetted branches added a bit of drama (like peeking through the bush) and helped draw the viewer’s attention to the volcano. A shallow depth of field softened the frond’s impact. Happy with the result, I moved a few more times, finding other things to “frame” the volcano. In previous columns we discussed the rule of thirds and how it helped to focus a viewer’s attention to the area of the image you wanted to emphasize. Frames or borders are other tricks professional photographers use to draw attention to a particular area of an image. They have the same impact as framing/matting a picture to hang on a wall. The frame/mat forces viewers to seek out the subject within the frame. It quickly draws the viewer’s attention into the image and onto the subject.

Welcome to Las Vegas sign, Las Vegas, Nevada. The direction the girl is pointing the camera forms a subtle leading line. D800, 236mm, f11, 1/125 seccond, ISO 100.

48  PHOTO News

Great Wall of China, using framing and leading line. D700, 24mm, f/11, 1/125 second, ISO 200.

We all have a natural tendency to follow lines, so using them to “point” to centres of interest in your photo can produce more dramatic images.

Looking out a window at Port Lockroy, Antarctica. D800, 28mm, f/8, 1/50 second, ISO 100.

Framing can be obvious (like using a window or other “hard” object), or it can be subtle (like a red rose amid a background of green foliage). The “frame” does not have to completely surround the subject to work well. Sometimes, a bit of framing across the top or along the sides works just as well. Arches, windows or doorways make great frames. For best results I try to keep the frame out-of-focus. On a recent trip to Antarctica I used separate panes of an old wooden window at the British Port Lockroy research center to frame the flag, shed and penguin. To make sure that the

PRO TIPS A FEW EXTRA FRAMING TIPS • Don’t let the frame or leading line become the focus of the image unless that is your intent. Try making frames soft or silhouetted and have your leading lines pointing to something interesting. • For greater impact, try to place the main subject of your image on one of the “rule of thirds” intersections or lines within the frame or the scene. • Most framed and leading line shots require a medium wide-angle lens (something in the 28mm-35mm range). A really wide-angle lens tends to make your point of interest too small and distant and your framing large and imposing (because it’s closer). • Leading lines such as roads, trails and paths tend to work best when shot from a low angle. This makes it easier to place both sides of the road or path in the lower corners.

window frame didn’t overpower the scene I utilized a fairly shallow depth of field and focused on the scene outside, which rendered the window frame dividers outof-focus. The hardest part of the shot was waiting for all of the subjects to cooperate. Using leading lines is another simple technique to help you focus attention or draw a viewer’s eyes towards an important area of the image. We all have a natural tendency to follow lines, so using them to “point” to centers of interest in your photo can produce more dramatic images. Like frames, leading lines can be obvious (like a road or trail leading up to some mountains) or subtle (like someone pointing or looking towards your point of interest). I try to use as wide a depth-of-field as possible so the lines and what they are pointing to are all in focus. Last year in Las Vegas I was having some difficulty coming up with a ‘different’ image of the iconic “Welcome

Summer 2016  49  Michael DeFreitas | Technique

to Las Vegas” sign. Then a small bus of tourists pulled up and I got one of them to help me out. I positioned the young girl in the lower right of the frame and used her extended arm holding up her camera to point the way. Not an award winning shot be any means, but different. China’s iconic Great Wall is one of the most photographed subjects on earth. Getting an interesting photo, however, can be difficult as many photographers run the risk of having the scene speak for itself. As I walked the wall last summer, I looked for ways of using aspects of the wall to create greater impact. I decided to try and use both framing and leading line techniques to accentuate the wall snaking across the emerald green mountainsides. I used an arched opening in one of the guard posts along the wall as my frame and the ramparts as my leading line.

Leading lines tend to work best when they originate in one of the lower corners of your image and run diagonally upwards towards the center of the image. Roads, paths and trails provide strong leading lines especially if you can position both sides of the road or path in the opposite lower corners of your scene. “S” curves (like a road or trail) also produce strong leading lines. Using the curving road in Nevada’s Red Rock Canyon helped to lead the viewer’s eyes from the bottom left corner of the frame to the park’s signature mountains in the distance. The most difficult part of using leading lines and frames is finding them. It takes a bit of practice to visualize them, so before your next trip abroad, practice finding and using frames and leading lines around your neighbourhood.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Las Vegas, Nevada. S curve leading line. Nikon D800, 35mm, f/16, 1/125 second, ISO 100.

GEAR UP Ready To Take It To The Next Level? Frames and leading lines tend to work better for vertical shots. Sometimes it takes a while to compose the shots, and holding your camera in the vertical position for extended periods is tiring. Luckily, most DSLR camera manufacturers make vertical grip attachments that screw onto the bottom of your camera body. The grips have similar ergonomics to your camera’s regular side grip and include a shutter release button, making it much easier to compose and hold verticals shots without contorting your arms. Vertical grips typically run $200 -$250.

50  PHOTO News

BY MICHELLE VALBERG

PHOTO DÉCOR

Printing, Framing, and Display

I knew he was there. I could feel him, even if I couldn’t see him. I adjusted my eyes through my camera lens and after blindly focusing for a microsecond, there he was: a powerful male polar bear, peering at me silently from behind a snow-covered spruce tree near Churchill, Manitoba. I don’t know what tipped me off to this nanuq’s presence—maybe a slight shaking of snow off the tree as he positioned himself to watch me. Whatever it was, it was enough. My camera whirred and I captured the moment.

Summer 2016  51 

A combination of framed fine art, metallic and matte canvas pieces at Michelle Valberg's Arctic Kaleidoscope exhibition at the Trinity Art Gallery in the Shenkman Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ontario.

A year later, I opened my 3-month solo exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. I watched people react to my images. Big, bold and printed on Hahnemuhle Fine Art Monet canvas to nearly life-sized proportions, I was thrilled that they accurately reflected my own experience. People walked past, looked, and then did a double-take. Their eyes widened in wonder and some gasped involuntarily. “Wait a minute, is that a… oh my God! It’s a bear! He is so hidden, I didn’t see him!” At that moment, I knew that I had accomplished something very special, not because I had travelled so far into Canada’s hinterland, or lost feeling in my fingers countless times, or even that I had managed to get that particular image–I felt accomplished because in an age of digital everything, the physical, printed image still had the power to take someone’s breath away.

52  PHOTO News Michelle Valberg  |  Canadian Angles

Of course, displaying your best images is not as simple as hitting ‘print’. Before you run out to buy the latest and greatest printer, stop to consider the end result you want to achieve. Where will your art be displayed? How much wall space will you have? Will your image be framed? Or do you prefer a gallery canvas stretched over a frame? All of these decisions will lead to multiple options for paper, canvas and hanging choices.

Paper

It seems simple enough—get a good art paper that won’t fade. But nothing is that straight forward. My preference is Hahnemuhle Fine Art paper (my personal favourite is the PhotoRag 308), which is versatile and ideal for printing either black and white or colour, all while delivering impressive pictorial depth. It is a consistent, high quality archival paper that will highlight your work with its fine, smooth surface. If you can’t decide which stock to choose from, try their sample pack.

Canvas This wallpaper image of ice taken by Michelle in the Arctic hangs over a bed and adds a pop of colour. The original idea was to use the entire wall but too much of the image would have been hidden by the bed, lights and table, so the client opted for a centrepiece in the bedroom.

Hahnemuhle makes one of the best canvas options, such as their Monet canvas, named after the famed French impressionist. It is a natural white that works well for high quality photo printing. Another option is the metallic canvas, a bright white with an extravagant metallic gleam. The novel surface impresses with an elegant silver and pearlescent gloss. The metallic finish on a fine structured fabric ensures an extremely lively and appealing image effect. I used this paper on numerous pieces in a recent exhibition at Ottawa’s Trinity Art Gallery at the Shenkman Arts Centre. But the metallic does come with one recommendation: it’s great for landscapes and wildlife images, but does not work well for portraits.

Awagami Paper

There are times when paper and canvas are not quite enough - your inner artist craves the kind of challenge that comes with experimenting with new, innovative and exotic textures. That is certainly what I found when I discovered Awagami Japanese rice paper. This whisper-thin inkjet paper is a revolutionary product used by photographers, artists and designers. It comes in what’s called a ‘Kozo Double Layered” form, so that the printable side is composed of kozo paper and the disposable backing is made from pulp mix that can be peeled off. I have used this paper with astonishing results. When backlit, the photographs are beautifully artistic. To retain that ephemeral quality, I wouldn’t recommend framing your images, as they will lose their translucency. Rather, I experimented with hanging them on a divider, for an exhibition at the Wall Space Gallery in Ottawa. The result allowed for movement and created a dynamic treat for the eye.

Wallpaper–the Ultimate Photo Print

Forget your mother’s prized mural of a Hawaiian sunset that overlooked your 1970s childhood living room. Today’s wallpaper is something else altogether. You can print oversized murals and hang them in offices, at home or public spaces without losing image quality. And don’t worry about that tedious removal process. Today’s printable wallpaper is made with a removable, reusable and positional adhesive. It sticks to virtually any painted surface, in all room temperature changes and can be easily removed with a 99 percent guarantee the surface will be residue-free. The material does not rip or wrinkle and is not required to be removed over a certain period of time.

Framing the Print

Sometimes as photographers, we forget our audience and get caught up in capturing the moment. It’s easy to get carried away with technique, equipment and composition. But there is always a viewer, someone who will be impacted by your creativity.

Summer 2016 53  Michelle's oversized wallpaper murals flank the long hallways in the Ottawa Hospital, filling the space beautifully and adding colour and dimension to the otherwise sterile environment.

foot long canvas, but if it’s more than three-quarters the width of your couch, it will overwhelm rather than animate the room. Finally, consider the overall space when hanging your work, rather than just focusing on how much you love that one image. The right setting will create a visual context for your creativity. After all, as the late American philosopher Thomas Merton once noted, the composition of an interior space, particularly with art, “enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”

Want to know more? I am often reminded of that through my largest permanent display, at the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre. The collection is called ‘Trust, Faith and Hope” and was put up in the hospital’s corridors as a sort of passive therapy. I often receive emails or phone calls from patients visiting the cancer centre, who say that at their time of crisis, my images transport them to a better place, if only for a short time. Let your photos do the same for those around you. The number one step is choosing a professional framer. That may seem a huge expense if you’re planning on framing every family portrait for your brag wall—but it’s an excellent investment for your best pieces. After you’ve tried a few framers, you’ll find one you love. For me, that’s Wall Space Gallery in Ottawa, because of their professional handling of all sorts of art, vast array of frames, glass, paper and production services that can transform your favourite image into something worthy of an exhibition.

Displaying Your Work

People are often taken aback by the surprisingly few number of photos I have displayed in my home. It’s not that I don’t love looking at my photos, it’s just that there is a time and a space for every image—but not all of them at once. Too many images on too many walls create a cluttered, busy look that actually detracts from the integrity of your featured image. For big photos, allow them the space to breathe. Smaller images can be grouped in clusters two inches apart for a more modern, contemporary look, but generously proportioned pieces should be given a little elbow room. A large image can lend depth to a space. Sometimes, the texture, colour and subject can compliment the wall’s materials, like brick, barn wood or plaster. Once you have chosen the space, follow the ‘gallery height’ rule and position the piece 57inches or 145cm from the ground. Regardless of the size, use two hooks, chosen for weight allowances. Also remember to keep things proportional. You may have printed that photo from the lake on a six

Check out www.michellevalberg.com for details on a printing workshop I will be hosting with representatives from Amplis and Epson.

Michelle participated in a group exhibition at Wall Space Gallery in Ottawa called Paper. She photographed the interior of the old EB Eddy Building and printed her work on mixed mediums which included the Japanese Rice Paper called Awagami.

54  PHOTO News

ON ASSIGNMENT    

BY PETER K. BURIAN

What’s In My Bag

AND WHAT’S IN MY POCKET? In late spring, I travelled to England to shoot stock images of iconic scenes in London and further afield.

This was an ideal opportunity to answer a question that has often come up–when a serious photographer travels, what equipment goes in the camera bag… and what do we carry when we just want to go for a leisurely walk? I often cover many kilometers on my photo adventures, strolling along crowded streets and riding public transit. I always pack a bag with the pro gear needed for my assignments, and always carry a compact camera for the times when I just want to travel light. For this trip, I borrowed some gear from a couple of manufacturers.

What’s in my bag?

My choice of camera was the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8. This is a 20.3 MP semi-pro model in a splash and dust proof magnesium alloy body. At full resolution, it can shoot at 10fps (6fps with AF-C) and the nearly silent AF system is highly effective. As a bonus, this camera can record 4K or full HD video. For the standard lens, I chose the Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 Aspheric (24-70mm equivalent) with an Ultra ED and four aspherical elements and POWER O.I.S. stabilizer. Like the camera, this 305 gram model is splash and dust-proof, always an asset during spring in England. For extra reach, I selected the compact and lightweight (520 gram) Lumix G Vario 100-300mm f/4-5.6 (200-600mm equivalent) telephoto. Extras included a DMW-FL360L flash, polarizing filters, extra SD cards and a Visible Dust cleaning kit.

What’s in my pocket? Every serious photographer I know carries a small high-quality camera with built-in lens that can fit into a jacket pocket or purse. This take-anywhere camera is useful whenever it’s not practical to carry a full camera bag. For this trip, I picked

Summer 2016 55 

Another Ideal Travel Kit:

DSLR With Tamron 16-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Lens a 20.1 MP Lumix DMC-ZS100 with a large 1-inch type sensor and a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 25-250mm equivalent lens for fine image quality. This is a full-featured model with many analog controls and a logical menu layout.

Bag and Tripod

My favourite style of camera bag is a sling, but a backpack is very comfortable when walking long distances. Vanguard Canada loaned me a case that proved to be the best of both worlds. For this trip I chose an aluminum four leg-section Vanguard VEO 204AB travel tripod with three leg angle options, a rapid column rotation feature and strong, flip-type locks. Though very compact (folding down to 39.5cm) and lightweight (1.27kg) this tripod boasts a maximum height of 1.35 metres and a minimum height for low angle use of a mere 18.4cm. The ball head features an Arca-style quick release system. This VEO model had more capacity (4kg load) than I ever required and was surprisingly rigid.

While a mirrorless interchangeable-lens system is particularly compact and lightweight, readers who own a DSLR kit might prefer an alternative to record their travel memories. The best bet would be a multi-purpose lens such as the Tamron 16-300mm VC PZD model, roughly a 24-450mm equivalent. In England, my back-up system included this versatile zoom on a mid-size Nikon DSLR for a total weight of 1625 grams. The great range of focal lengths and the close focusing ability should meet most shooters’ needs and they’re all packed into a surprisingly compact moisture and dust resistant barrel. The Tamron 16-300mm has a high tech vibration compensation stabilizer (VC) and Piezo Drive (PZD) ultrasonic motor for fast, nearly silent autofocus. Surprisingly, it also boasts three Moulded-Glass Aspherical elements, two LD and an XR plus a UXR (Ultra-Extra Refractive Index) element to correct all types of aberrations. Image quality was excellent at the most-commonly used focal lengths from about 16mm to 270mm particularly at around f/8 to f/10. My best photos made beautiful 16x24-inch prints. Considering its fine performance and many features, this Tamron model is a fine choice for any occasion when you don’t want to carry a full camera bag. Whether tucked into a hip pack or slung over a shoulder, the weight and size of this versatile lens (on a compact or mid-size DSLR) make it a very good choice for travel and touring.

Evaluation

The kit that I had selected for this trip proved to be versatile and highly competent. The very small Lumix DMCZS100 got more of a workout than I had anticipated. The resulting images were fine for 11x17 inch reproduction. The water-resistant construction of the DMC-GX8 and the 12-35mm lens was useful on a rainy evening while I was shooting city scenes while the VEO tripod enabled me to get razor sharp photos inside the dark Warwick castle. The resulting low ISO images are suitable for 16x24-inch prints. The Vanguard bag was ideal in both the backpack and the sling configuration. I had been warned that pick-pockets were active during the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, so the sling position offered more security than would be possible with a backpack style.

These photos–made at the same location at 16mm and at 300mm–illustrate the versatility of a wide angle to telephoto lens. (In Oxford, UK At f/10; ISO 320; Nikon D7100.) (c) 2016 Peter K. Burian

56  PHOTO News

TECHNIQUE

BY CHRISTIAN AUTOTTE

Let it Rain For many people, the art of photography is a fair weather activity– only to be enjoyed when the sun shines brightly overhead. In the real world, we are surrounded by photo opportunities, and some of the best pictures ever made were shot in the worst possible weather.

A simple raincoat for cameras made up of a plastic bag equipped with a tie rope to fix it around the lens shade.

Why do people hesitate to take their camera out in bad weather? Perhaps because in the early days of photography most camera equipment was unable to withstand anything more than a light rain, and film required a fair amount of light to produce good results. This obstacle has been surpassed in recent years by cameras and lenses that are weather sealed to withstand the elements. Your only reason to stay indoors on a rainy day is your own preference to avoid colds and wet weather. Today, there is no reason to avoid foul weather photography, and the images captured on a rainy day can be quite spectacular. The first order of business is to see to your own comfort. Dress for the weather conditions–wear good rain gear, dry boots, a hat and gloves if necessary. In colder weather, make sure to stay warm; it is very hard to concentrate on photography when you are cold and wet. Next order of business: the equipment. Cameras have evolved a lot in the past few decades. Modern digital cameras are much better at shooting in low light than their film counterparts. Don’t hesitate to increase the ISO as needed, especially if you are working without a tripod.

Summer 2016  57 

Dew can be just as good as rain and just as wet. Walking in dew can be unpleasant; dropping your equipment in dew covered grass would be as well… 100mm macro 1/13 second at f/9, ISO 400

A rainy spring day and a macro lens mounted on a tripod, that’s all it took to shoot this beech bud and rain drops. 100mm macro 1/60 second at f/10, ISO 640

More advanced cameras, usually considered as “pro” or “semipro”, are weather sealed. While it may be regarded as an advantage, do not put too much trust in the viability of those seals. Weather seals are meant as a protection against moisture and not a guarantee that shooting all day long in pouring rain can be done with impunity. Keep in mind that not all lenses are weather resistant. Fortunately, cameras can be outfitted with rain gear. The simplest accessories look like large plastic bags with a draw string that can be fixed around a lens shade. Add a clear filter for protection and no rain or snow can harm your valuable equipment. I always carry a rain cover in my gadget bag and in all my years of shooting in the rain I have never lost a camera to bad weather. Obviously, changing lenses in a downpour is not a good idea. Consider using a zoom or two bodies equipped with different focal length lenses. On the other hand, being limited to one focal length can be a stimulating challenge to your creativity.

The right camera bag can make or break your enjoyment of a rainy day excursion. Your bag should be as waterproof as possible if you plan to go walking in the rain. Some outdoor enthusiasts will keep moisture absorbing material (silica gel) inside the bag, which can be a good idea with cameras that are not weather sealed. Bring along a microfibre cloth to wipe drops of water off the front of your lens. At the end of your adventure, open the bag to let it dry, and check and clean the equipment. A clear blue sky doesn’t add much to a landscape, but dark skies and slashing rain or heavy snowfall can result in dramatic pictures. One thing bad weather can do is create a new type of perspective by blurring out distant details. This creates an impression of depth that can be achieved no other way. This is a well-known effect of fog, but it can be just as dramatic in heavy snow or rain. Shutter speed can be important when shooting the elements. A shutter speed that is too slow will make falling rain or snow virtually disappear. If the effect you want is similar to that of fog, set the camera on a tripod and reduce the shutter speed. For a different effect use the fastest shutter speed possible, increasing the ISO if necessary. This is one situation where the increased grain of a high ISO may actually improve the final result. Fast shutter speeds will make individual drops or snowflakes visible; try experimenting by bracketing your shutter speed settings.

58  PHOTO News Christian Autotte | Technique

In macro photography, especially with flowers and other plants, rain can add a richness of colour that makes picture pop. The water drops themselves create an added touch. Some photographers “cheat” by spraying a fine mist of water on flowers, but the effect is not the same. On a rainy day, leaves and petals absorb water all day long, they become engorged and they look fuller and healthier. Simply spraying water on dry flowers can never duplicate a rainy day. Cloudy days also provide a softer and more even light, ideal for macro photography. It is not always necessary to get your feet wet in order to shoot in the rain. It can be done from under the protection of a porch or inside a house. Shooting from a parked car is also possible. Shots can be made through an open window; for a different look, try shooting through a rain splashed window.

Subjects are not limited to the natural environment. Rain drenched city streets can create interesting reflections. Take along a tripod and your night shots of puddles and shiny streets can result in stunning images. During the day, look for people and how they cope with the elements: kids having fun or grownups trying to run away from it all. Find some colours to contrast with the dreary day: umbrellas and colourful rain coats are classics. Whether you shoot landscapes, macros, or environmental portraits, don’t let a bit of foul weather ruin your day. Pick up your camera and have fun!

After the rain stopped there were water droplets everywhere. Time to shoot! 100mm macro, 1.3 seconds at f/16, ISO 200.

Summer 2016 59 

Tamron’s new 90mm Macro Lens I had the pleasure of field testing the latest in a long line of Tamron Macro lenses–the new SP 90mm F/2.8 MACRO 1:1 Di VC USD (Model F017). The design is clean, smooth, and elegant. Three switches control the VC (Vibration Control) and the auto focus, while a third control limits the area of focus, from 0.3 to 0.5 metre, 0.5 metre to infinity and full range autofocus from life size to infinity. Focusing is fairly fast and quiet, especially if the lens is limited to macro or normal range. While not long enough to be used for sports photography, it can be a great lens for portraiture. The focusing ring is wide and comfortable and the movement is smooth and precise. A window shows focusing distances in metres and feet, as well as magnification factors. Like other lenses in the new Tamron SP series it is sealed against dust and moisture.

No need to get wet to shoot in the rain… This leaf was stuck to a window pane while it rained… 100-400mm at 400 mm 1/15 second at f/10, ISO 160

The new lens design is unobtrusive and it quickly becomes an extension of the camera, allowing the photographer to concentrate on the pictures to be made. You can expect those pictures to be very sharp–this macro lens is among the sharpest in its class, and with the stabilizer activated I was able to get consistently sharp hand-held pictures at 1/60 second at life size, and 1/30 second at half life size. All in all, the new Tamron 90mm macro will undoubtedly become a new reference for macro photographers. The new Tamron 90mm Macro in action

SoftBox III … Snoot XTR Equipment used get this shot: • • •

One LumiQuest SoftBox III One LumiQuest Snoot XTR Two Speedlights

Check your Inbox for PHOTONews Flash or see www.photonews.ca for details on how Will created this photo from an 8 image focus stack.

“I regularly use multiple flashes with different modifiers on each flash. It’s all about getting light and shadows how I want them.” Will Prentice

Photographer • Brand Specialist - Lighting

Top Pros trust their work to LumiQuest …

Phalaenopsis Orchid

Shouldn’t you?

www.lumiquest.ca

60  PHOTO News

Technique Photo by Nina Stavlund

BY TONY BECK

Hummingbirds in Flight Hummingbirds inspire us all. Whimsical names like Ruby Topaz, Purple-throated Woodstar, Flame-throated Sunangel or Swordbill can easily power our imagination. Tiny, animated and tame, they’re like nature’s fireworks, capable of exploding into vibrant colours and ornate features. With more than 350 species described, all occurring in the Americas, they have evolved into creatures with extreme appearances and capabilities. The familiar Ruby-throated Hummingbird of Eastern North America can flap 200 wing beats per second during courtship, the fastest flutter on record. At a little more than 5 cm (2 inches) the Bee Hummingbird of Cuba is the smallest bird on the planet. Compared to other

Bio Freelance photographer Tony Beck describes himself as a “naturalist”, specializing in a wide variety of wildlife and nature subjects. Based in Ottawa, Ontario, Tony and his wife Nina Stavlund operate a small company called "Always An Adventure" offering a variety of photography, nature, birdwatching and tourism related services including workshops, courses, excursions and short trips. For more information please visit alwaysanadventure.ca/

birds, they have the fewest feathers, the fastest heart rate, they can fly backwards, and they can hover in one spot for extended periods. If that’s not impressive enough, some species of hummingbirds have ornamented head feathers, long tail streamers and brilliant iridescent plumage that can change colour depending on the angle of light. Although most hummingbirds live in tropical America, they have adapted to a variety of habitats–from the forest edges of Northern British Columbia, to the gardens of Tierra del Fuego, to the Puna regions of the high Andes Mountains. Wherever flowers bloom, there is likely some type of hummingbird adapted to them.

Female Green Thorntail - Green Thorntail is a small hummer regularly found in Central America. When your subject is in bright sunlight you’re less likely to need fill flash. But, make sure the sun is behind you. With optimum light conditions, you can almost freeze the wing beats with a shutter speed of 1/1000.  Camera: D3s; Lens: AF-S Nikkor 300mm f4 with TC14E teleconverter ISO: 400; Shutter: 1/1000; Aperture: f8

Summer 2016  61 

Purple-throated Woodstar - Found on the north western slopes of Ecuador, Purple-throated Woodstars consistently hover around nectar feeders. When photographing this species, I often use fill flash with a slower shutter speed to get a tack sharp body and blurred flight feathers.    Camera: D4; Lens AF-S: Nikkor 80-400 f5.6; ISO: 400; Shutter: 1/200; Aperture: f7.1

Five species occur regularly in Canada. These fair­ weather birds only visit during the nesting season from April to September; however, a few hardy Anna’s Hummingbirds spend the entire year in Southern BC. Although hummers occasionally feed on insects, they specialize in nectar. Nature lovers attract hummingbirds with elaborate feeding stations including a network of specially designed nectar feeders and flowering plants. Typically, hummingbirds become tame patrons at these galleries, making them approachable for observation and photography. In tropical regions, some galleries attract dozens of hummingbird species plus other small birds, mammals, and an assortment of butterflies. Many lodges in Tropical America have gained international fame thanks to the wildlife they attract to their property. They have become especially popular with wildlife photographers.

Copper-rumped Hummingbird - Many birds, like this Copper-rumped Hummingbird from Trinidad, are territorial, defending their favourite perch against competitors. When observing wildlife, study their behaviour and movements. Watch for any animal that consistently returns to a photogenic environment like a nectar feeder or exposed flower.  Flash: Nikon Speedlight SB910; Camera: D750; Lens: AF-S Nikkor 300mm f4; ISO: 200; Shutter: 1/400; Aperture: f7.1

62  PHOTO News

Tony Beck | Technique Antarctic tern

It is easy to set up a hummingbird feeding station. Nectar feeders are inexpensive and readily available on the commercial market. To concoct hummingbird nectar, just mix one part sugar to four parts water and bring it to a boil. You should keep unused nectar refrigerated. Maintain the feeders with regular cleaning, and change unused nectar after two or three days. Make your property wildlife-friendly with native flowers and a few thick bushes that provide small animals with cover and safety from predators. Search the web for feeding strategies and plants best suited for your region. Capturing good photos of these little powerhouses takes practice and effort. Some of the most dramatic images come from small portable outdoor set-ups complete with a blind, a couple of synchronized flash units, reflectors and an artificial backdrop. Sometimes, photographers include a fresh flower in the composition for additional colour and effect. Although this set-up provides amazing results when done properly, it means working with lots of equipment, and waiting in one spot for long periods. Even though I demand quality from my work, I prefer keeping it simple and fun. Fortunately, there are easy techniques to accomplish this. While looking for photo opportunities, I enjoy the flexibility of moving around freely, without being restricted to one spot. An ideal situation has the bird in bright sunshine with the sun behind you as your lens points toward your subject. Sunlight allows you to keep the ISO low while maintaining a fast shutter speed. An example of proper exposure for anything reflecting sunlight: set the ISO to 100 with the shutter at 1/1000 and the aperture at 6.3. Whatever ISO you set, remember that freezing the wing beats requires speeds in excess of 1/1000 of a second. During overcast or low light, raise your ISO before lowering the shutter speed. Another simple technique is to use a single flash to fill in shadows caused by natural light. With a speedlight on the camera’s hot shoe you can solve many contrasting exposure issues. Although pop-up flashes built into many DSLRs can work, they’re not as effective as a speedlight. Built-in flashes can have trouble reaching over larger lenses and they don’t synchronize to fast shutters. Regardless, they can still be effective. When using a single flash, I prefer to have the hummingbird in shadow with the background in brighter light. Set the camera’s manual settings to properly expose the brighter background. Set the speedlight to auto exposure. The camera properly exposes the bright background while the flash properly exposes the bird in the dark foreground. The flash should have little or no effect on the background. The flash’s duration is much faster than the shutter and should freeze any details it exposes. However, some blur can still occur with extremely fast movement like a hummingbird’s wings. Interestingly, you can intentionally blur wing beats for effect by using a slower shutter speed like 1/320 or 1/400. When hummingbirds hover in a stationary position while activating a slow shutter, the flash reveals every detail in the motionless body while the longer shutter speed blurs the wings. Beware of cold shadows caused by a single flash. Usually these shadows are tolerable, but I sometimes remove them during the photo editing process.

Adult male White-necked Jacobin - A familiar hummingbird found in much of Tropical America, this male White-necked Jacobin was one of many coming to a feeding station in the hills of Trinidad. I set the camera’s exposure on a Flaming Immortal Tree in the background. The bird was in the shadows of the foreground where it was exposed with a speed light on the camera’s hot shoe.  Flash: Nikon Speedlight SB910; Camera: D750; Lens: AF-S Nikkor 300mm f4; ISO: 200; Shutter: 1/640; Aperture: f7.1

Telephoto lenses with close focus capability work best. I often use a 300mm telephoto, sometimes with 1.4 teleconverter. This combo lets me focus closer than 2 metres while filling much of the frame with those colourful little birds. Less is more when it comes to bird photography. Maximize aesthetics by avoiding cluttered compositions and distracting hot spots. Select an uncomplicated scene with the bird in close, perfectly in focus, and filling much of the frame. Strive for an out-of-focus natural background. This is easily achieved with the bird in the open and vegetation in the distance. Ethical questions arise when using flash around wildlife. Frequent exposure to intense flash can affect the sight of nocturnal animals. The abruptness of flash can also scare timid wildlife. However, animals that visit feeding stations during the day get used to photographers quickly. Regardless, be considerate, not just to the animals, but to other photographers and observers. The animal’s well-being should get priority. Never prevent them from reaching their food, and never cause them stress. Learn how to recognize animal behaviours. Yourheightened wildlife awareness will not only benefit the animal, but your photography as well. One strategy to get them used to camera equipment is by triggering the shutter and flash many times before the subject is in close position. This gets them used to the camera’s sights and sounds while they’re still far away. After a short time, they’ll behave normally. The best news is that these techniques work equally as well for other small life forms like butterflies, frogs and other small birds. Now that summer is here, get out there, observe the animals, and have fun sharing your results.

www.cactus-image.ca

Leigh Miller • http://leighmiller.zenfolio.com

Cactus CB60 Softbox is a foldable softbox for speedlights that includes 2 removable diffusers. The included flash mount holds your flash by the head, not the shoe, for security. It features an umbrella mount and S-Mount for studio light modifiers.

Cactus V6 works on any camera with a standard hotshoe or PC sync port and with almost any flash. V6 supports full manual power control of remote flashes, plus power and zoom control of Cactus RF60 flashes.

The smart flash satisfaction

Metz 26 AF-2 Small enough to fit in a shirt pocket; powerful enough to illuminate where your built-in flash isn’t enough. The Metz 26 AF-2 fits compact system cameras and small cameras with a hotshoe. • Simple 4 Button Operation Simple to Use and Easy to See • Illuminated Function Keys Easier to use in low light when you use flash most

• 30 Lux LED Video Light Two Levels of Daylight balanced light • Easy One Touch Wireless Slave* Press one button and your camera takes over remotely.

Compatible with flashes and cameras from: CANON

NIKON OLYMPUS

PANASONIC

PENTAX

FUJUFILM

SONY

*All features not currently available for all brands. Please see www.metzflash.ca for full details and information about firmware updates.

Multi angle reflector

USB interface for firmware updates

Integrated LED video light

Illuminated Function Keys

Metal hotshoe mount*

www.metzflash.ca

64  PHOTO News

SPECIAL FEATURE  |  PRINTING 101 BY ERIC STEWART

Printing with ICC Settings In the last edition of PHOTO News, I wrote about which printer to purchase and how to make simple black and white prints, letting the printer do all the work. In this issue, let’s take a look at printing with downloadable ICC profiles.

In 1993, the International Color Consortium (ICC) was founded with the goal of creating and promoting a consistent standardization for colour across all devices. They realized that a digital photograph is just data, and it needs to be translated in order to produce an image. The interpretation of the data is crucial to colour accuracy. An ICC profile allows your computer to read and

Download ICC profiles from the web. This is Hahnemühle’s website, where you can find ICC profiles for your printer and the media you have chosen to print with

translate the colour data from your camera, and to translate the data again to produce accurate colour on your monitor and in your prints. Manufacturers like Hahnemühle create ICC profiles for all of your output devices. These profiles are stored in your computer in the colorsync library on a Mac and with the printer drivers on a PC. While there will be slight inconsistencies between the printer profiled by the manufacturer and the actual printer sitting on your desk, downloadable ICC profiles are getting better all the time, meaning your print will have very good colour accuracy. Every printer and paper combination needs a different ICC profile as every paper requires different ratios of ink to produce accurate colour. You need a specific ICC profile for each type of paper that you plan to print with. ICC profiles can be downloaded from the paper manufacturer’s website. Hahnemühle, for example, has a download centre including instructions on how to install their profiles and the correct settings to use for each media type. As I mentioned in the last issue, the shadow and highlight points will also be different for each printer and paper combination, so make sure you print the same file every time you try a new paper. The file I print each time can be found here: www.langaraphoto.com/printertarget.jpg Once you have your ICC profile downloaded and stored in your library, you need to set up your printer driver. The media type is the most important setting here. Media type controls how much ink is laid down on each pass of the printer head. If this is set incorrectly, ink may pool on your paper, or you print will appear too light. In some printers choosing the media type also sets the printer head height or Platen Gap. The printer head height is very important when printing with thicker papers as an incorrect setting may cause the printer head to actually hit the paper and could damage the printer.

Summer 2016  65 

In the Photoshop Print Settings window, you need to ensure you have Photoshop managing colors, the correct printer profile and the most relevant rendering intent. The Match Print Colors and Gamut warning buttons are also shown.

Once the media type is chosen in the printer driver, ensure the correct image size is set and choose the printer resolution. Resolution controls the number of dots on ink per inch. While 600 dpi is a safe choice for most papers, a higher number will give a smoother print. After your printer driver is set up correctly, you will need to ensure that Photoshop or Lightroom is controlling the colours. In the print dialogue in Photoshop, you need to ensure that your Color Handling is set so that Photoshop Manages Colors. Once this is selected, the ICC profile that you downloaded can be used as the Printer Profile. In Lightroom, this is selected by choosing the correct profile under Color Management in the Print module.

Epson SureColor SC-P600 – Photo Black (PK) A General Guide for Printing on Hahnemühle FineArt Papers Installing Profiles Please refer to your printer manual or our website for a detailed instruction how to install profiles for your printer. Note:

Your graphic-application needs to be restarted if it was open when profiles were installed. New profiles will be detected automatically during the start of the application.

Settings Print drivers will vary from printer to printer and from Macintosh to PC but the general setup will be the same. Be sure to select the proper profile for the printer, paper and ink combination you are using. In our profile names you will find the proper combination to use.

Print with Preview / General Settings:

Print Driver / Media Settings:

1)

Source Space: Document

5)

Media: Epson Premium Luster

2)

Profile: regarding to your paper and ink combination

6)

Quality: 4 (1440 dpi)

7)

Mode: Colormanagement Off

3,4) Rendering Intent, Black Point Compensation: Needs to be chosen regarding to the image you‘re using. Eventually you need to test. No recommendation possible.

Note: 02.2015 / Rev. 00

Each paper that you print with should have a data sheet. Pay special attention to the printer driver / media settings as they are crucial to creating a great print.

For traceable printing, please save the settings and recall these settings whenever you print. Varying these settings could affect the outcome of your image. There are other factors that can also affect the output, if needed please refer to you printer manual or image manipulation program for additional color management issues. The screen shots may vary in case of different systems.

www.hahnemuehle.com

Next, select Black Point Compensation to ensure that your blacks can be interpreted correctly in your print. While not essential in every print, it does make a big difference when the black in your image does not match the darkest possible tone your paper will handle. The last decision you need to make is the rendering intent. Photographers generally use two of the four possible choices: Perceptual or Relative Colorimetric. Your choice of rendering intent depends on the gamut of your image and the gamut of your printer-paper combination. Gamut refers to the different colours your device can display or your printer can reproduce. There are colours that your camera can capture but your printer cannot print. When a colour cannot be printed it is considered to be out of gamut. You can check to see if there are any out of gamut colours in your image by selecting Match Print Colors, and then Gamut Warning at the bottom of the Photoshop printer window. When you select Gamut Warning, some of your image may turn grey in the preview window. If this happens, you probably want to choose Perceptual rendering intent. This will move all of the colours in your image and ensure that no colours are out of gamut, while retaining smooth transitions through the image. There is a downside to this choice as all of your colours will be skewed slightly (although most people will not be able to see the change). Choosing Relative Colorimetric rendering intent ensures the most accurate colour, but if you have colours out of gamut, you risk banding in those sections of the print. Printing with ICC profiles is a step-by-step process. You need to ensure that you have each of the choices in your printer driver and in Photoshop or Lightroom set correctly. If this is done, you will get repeatable results. Start a logbook to record your settings in order to achieve this consistency in your prints. In the next issue of PHOTO News, I will be discussing creating custom ICC profiles for absolutely perfect colour, and showing you some unique papers to try out these custom profiles.

66  PHOTO News

Final Frame

Macro Magic!

Nathalie Duhaime, of Ste-Adèle, Québec, captured this beautiful image of a flower with the Panasonic Lumix LX 100 that she won in our PHOTO News Summer 2015 “On Vacation” Challenge. Nathalie set the LX100 for macro at 34mm focal length, 1/400 second, f/5.6 and ISO 200. The image was post-processed using Adobe Photoshop Elements 12.0 for Windows. “I received this beautiful bouquet of flowers for Valentines’ Day, and one bloom stood out because of its spectacular colours.”

The PHOTO News Canada Summer 2016 Challenge theme is “Macro Magic.” Your assignment – to photograph a subject at close range - entries must be shot between the 1/4 life size “close-up” magnification ratio and the 1/1 and greater magnification ratio of the “macro” category. Images may be cropped and/or post-processed, and you may submit images photographed prior to the summer of 2016. The contest is open to all Canadian photographers. Please enter by joining our flickr® group at www. flickr.com/groups/PHOTO Newsgallery/ and look for the Summer 2016 “Macro Magic” Challenge discussion thread, where you will find additional details, samples, suggestions, and technique tips. It’s fun, it’s free, and it’s a friendly environment for photographers of all ages and skill levels.

See your pictures in print! It is always a thrill to see your pictures in a national magazine – for every issue, PHOTO News Canada selects reader’s images from the photos posted in our PHOTO News Canada Reader’s Gallery flickr® group pool – so take a look, sign in, post a few of your favourite photos, and enjoy our interactive photographic adventures! The PHOTO  News Canada Challenge is sponsored by Panasonic Canada, who will present a special prize for the most interesting image selected for publication in the next issue.

The contest deadline for entries for the “Macro Magic” Challenge is July 15, 2016.

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