Digital Photographer

Along with light and arguably emotion, composition is the cornerstone of any strong image. While there are plenty of ‘rules’ designed to help photographers frame a shot, these can often be limiting and unimaginative. This issue, we’ve asked a landsca

Our technique editor Peter shares more practical advice this month. Learn to use filters like a professional and manage exposure from p22. You’ll also find his dynamic angles for street photography (p56), tips for visiting The Photography Show (p64)

After a tumultuous 18 months, we’re excited to welcome back The Photography Show on 18-21 September this year, and you can find out everything that it has to offer with the show preview. Expect a packed four days of all things photography and video.

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Verity is a pro landscape and commercial photographer based in Birmingham, UK. She currently shoots with Canon kit and is an ambassador for Zeiss lenses and LEE Filters. Verity also leads workshops with Light and Land. www.veritymilliganphotography.c

Adjusting the aperture of your lens is one of the key ways to influence how an image turns out. Verity prefers shooting in Aperture Priority exposure mode, where she will predetermine the desired aperture and let the camera control the shutter speed.

A tripod is helpful to set a sturdy base, from which you can set up a firm composition and tweak manual focus. First, choose a height to shoot at. optic ensures the verticals of the cathedral are straight at a wide angle. Shift the lens up to counter

Variable ND filters are incredibly useful when you don’t know which densities you will need and don’t want to carry four or five separate strengths. By rotating the filter, you can choose a stepless density range of often around two to eight stops. H

The use of filtration to hold back exposure has been a common practice amongst professional photographers for many years. On reflection, the creation of filters such as Neutral Density grads is far cleverer than it is often given credit for, probably

It’s easy to forget the role that hardware filters have played in the development of photography as we know it today. Before it was possible to easily blend exposures, either in the darkroom or using software at the computer, it was critical to be ab

Verity recently traded in her 30.1-megapixel full-frame Canon EOS 5D Mark IV for the mirrorless R5. She does also have the Canon 5DSR, but will only carry them both about if she’s on a commercial shoot, for peace of mind. An uncommon optic, this ultr

Polarisation effects are dictated by light direction, so find your angle and composition first. Look for a balance of reflected image and landscape, being mindful of how each area will interact and impact the structure of the overall scene. Find the

One of the first things we learn as digital photographers is that shooting with the camera in RAW mode is the first step to professional colour control. Unlike a jpeg file, a RAW file is uncompressed and so contains much more digital information. Thi

There was a time when the array of filters available on the market was slightly overwhelming. Companies such as Cokin provided a huge range of types and variants of filters, at a price many beginners could afford. This allowed photographers to try di

Before sliding your filters into place, work handheld to find the ideal composition for your image. Decide where the optimal level for your horizon line is, as this may affect your choice of filter gradient and density. Take a meter reading from the

Digital cameras are highly complex pieces of technology. In terms of both hardware and software, there is a lot going on underneath that casing that users rarely give a second thought to. The days of a camera being a light-tight box are long gone – t

Whenever you place something in front of a camera lens, especially an item which applies an optical effect, there will be some practical challenges. Although filters generally do what they are meant to do, professional usage requires a deep understan

To further customise the colour balance and make the filter effect more chromatically invisible, use the Temperature and Tint sliders to make more precise global adjustments. Avoid large slider movements to prevent introducing other unwanted colour s

Lee Frost is a UK-based travel and landscape photographer, now living in Cornwall. He has over three decades of experience and when he’s not out shooting, he also runs photography workshops and tours. To see more of Lee’s work, visit: @leefrostphotog

This beautiful Tuscan view appeared in the closing scenes of Gladiator, but it’s all rather ‘windy’ and there’s no substance to the composition. Definitely room for improvement. Walking into the scene and zooming in on the road and villa simplifies t

So, you arrive at a great location and there’s the promise of better things to come. All you can do now is set up your gear, say a little prayer, wait and hope for the best. Placing the horizon across the centre of the frame is often considered to be

Why exactly? It’s because as well as providing a natural route into and through an image, they can also be used to divide up the picture into different areas. The most obvious lines are those created by man-made features such as roads, paths, tracks,

In the good old days of film, the only way you could compose a photograph was by peering through your camera’s viewfinder – unless you happened to use a large-format camera with a giant focusing screen. But with digital cameras, you have an alternati

This pier has lots ofpotential, but when viewed side-on from a distance it appears flat because the lines formed by the pier structure are running horizontally across the frame. By moving closer, the lines created by the walkway and handrails are con

The focal point is perhaps the most important element in a landscape composition, because it’s the one thing the eye eventually settles on after taking a journey around the scene. Often we can use other features in the scene to direct the eye towards

The quality of light is vitally important in landscape photography, as it not only dictates the mood of your images but also the way the viewer perceives them. Directional light with plenty of contrast is particularly versatile as it defines the elem

Assessing the composition on your camera’s preview screen can be tricky, especially in bright sunlight. Invest in a screen loupe, so you can block out stray light and see each shot clearly. The head is as important as the tripod, so choose one that a

The landscape is formed from an endless variety of natural features on both a vast and small scale. At one extreme, you have mountains, hills and clouds in the sky; at the other rocks, trees, streams, even pebbles on a beach. Regardless of size, thes

Another useful way of creating an interesting composition is by framing a subject or scene with features close to the camera, such as the overhanging branches of a tree, the mouth of a cave or natural and man-made arches. One benefit is that it direc

The mouth of this Icelandic ice cave created a classic frame around the distant snow-covered mountains. Shooting ultra-wide at 16mm allowed the cave walls to be in the frame, making the most of this amazing scene. Features in the landscape, such as r

The lens you use to shoot a landscape has a profound effect on the final images. For a start, the focal length determines how much or how little of the scene you can include. The wider the lens (the smaller the focal length) the more you capture – an

Difficulty level: Easy Time taken: 90 mins • DSLR or mirrorless camera• Wide-angle lens• Lightweight but sturdy tripod• Glass grad & ND filters• Lightroom & Photoshop or alternative software Growing up in the countryside I’ve always enjoyed finding e

Whether 1 it’s Paris, Venice or New York, plan in advance using the multitude of apps available. Know your transport links and accessibility (Citymapper and Google Maps), weather forecast, sunrise/sunset timings and positioning (TPE and PhotoPills).

Gift worth £70 Subscribe today at: WWW.MAGAZINESDIRECT.COM/DPH/RANGE32 or call 0330 333 1113 and quote ‘BM24’ Make sure you use this URL or quote the code on the phone: other offers are available that do not include the free bag gift “Subscribe for a

As we all know, sunrise and sunset is the best time for fabulous light. When taking cityscape shots look for the most dramatic light on the most prominent buildings, and if you are lucky enough to have all the elements of light, shadow and moving clo

Open your RAW file in Lightroom and select Lens Corrections. To minimise the impact of using a wide-angle lens, check the ‘Remove Chromatic Aberration’ and ‘Enable Profile Corrections’ tick boxes. Use the Transform tool in Lightroom to straighten hor

The allure of street photography is in the capture of candid moments, which will never again occur in exactly the same way. The same could be said for all genres of photography, of course, but it is especially potent in street imagery. The people and

How often do you stop and take a good look at what’s at your feet? Maybe not often, right? Well, if you do take the time, you’re likely to find subjects that have a lot to offer, including some with the most amazing structures. Take our example, the

The Photography Show 2021 is just around the corner and, this year, it’s back at the NEC Birmingham. TPS is always the must-see event of a photographer’s year, whether you are a complete novice or a full-time working professional. Naturally, your exp

What are NFTs? This is a question I have been asked a lot over the previous few months. NFTs or Non-fungible tokens are a new form of digital investable stored on the Ethereum blockchain. NFTs can be collected in the same way editions of photographic

Photography still occupies a small niche in the NFT market space. In situations such as this, you must decide whether to remain a spectator waiting for the interest to increase, or invest your time and resources on being a pioneer of a movement. Than

How easy is it to get funding? I’m a recent photography graduate and have lots of ambitious ideas, however, I don’t have the finances behind me to carry them out. Do you have any advice for a newbie on the block? Daniel Smith Daniel, the good news is

I want to evolve my business to include studio setups out on location, for example, to take professional headshots in people’s homes. I have my lights sorted, however, what background setup is affordable and easy to assemble? Amy Friend When it comes

NAME: The Gateway DATE: May 2021 KIT: Nikon Z7ii Nikkor Z 14-24mm WEBSITE: www.pengshi.com There is more than one type of contrast you can work into a scene. In this image, we have contrast of both colour and brightness. Peng Shi has captured a full

What arts grant(s) have you received and what did they fund? Over the years, I have been lucky enough to receive a few grants from the Arts Council that have either enabled me to complete an exhibition of my work in partnership with a gallery, or dev

On David Lloyd’s Instagram account, there are two short sentences that tell us a lot about his work: “All animals wild and free,” and “All pictures Photoshop free”. In a photographic world where it’s hard to trust our eyes, with photos heavily altere

After last year’s no-score draw, we’ve been treated to a spectacular summer of sport. And as the seasons shift towards winter games, many of us are feeling inspired to rekindle an interest in sports photography, or maybe even try our hand at somethin

Like Canon and Nikon, Sony has long produced a pro-spec 100-400mm zoom (though in Nikon’s case, it’s actually 80-400mm). However, the difference is that Sony’s FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master OSS was designed exclusively for mirrorless cameras. The c

Our team of trusted and expert reviewers score gear thoroughly to help you make better buying choices. Don’t go there Could be better Solid performer Excellent bit of kit Best on the market Digital Photographer’s awards are given out when a product r

Tag us @dphotographermag for a chance to feature here Every issue we’ll be sharing the best images from our Instagram community. Tag us on @dphotographermag for a chance to appear as our Shot of the Month. Photographer: Dibyendu Das Location: Fiordla

Sigma makes a relatively lightweight ‘Contemporary’ 150-600mm lens, but the ‘Sports’ edition goes large on build quality and performance, as well as physical size. Indeed, it weighs in at just under 3kg, making it quite a handful and half a kilo heav

There’s still no sign of the premium Z 100-400mm S-line zoom or the rumoured Z 200-600mm for Nikon’s Z-series mirrorless cameras. However, the F-mount AF-S 200-500mm that was developed for the company’s DSLRs is fully compatible, via an FTZ mount ada

www.sony.co.uk Manufacturer Sony Name FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS Price £1,439/$1,998 Web www.sony.co.uk Elements/groups 23/17 Diaphragm 9 blades Optical stabilizer Yes Autofocus type Direct Drive Supersonic Wave Min focus distance 2.4m Max magnifica

Picking up the baton from the popular EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, this is the RF equivalent for Canon’s R-series cameras. It stretches 100mm further into super-tele territory, boasting 500mm maximum reach, but at the expense of a two-thirds of

The Z fc is only the second APS-C (DX) format mirrorless camera in Nikon’s Z series – the first was the Z 50, which was announced in October 2019. Internally, the Z fc has much in common with the Z 50, not least in that they have the same 20.88MP (23

The Z fc has the Nikon Z lens mount so it can accept APS-C (DX) or full-frame (FX) lenses, including Nikon F-mount lenses via the FTZ mount adapter. The Z fc is the first Nikon Z-series camera to feature a vari-angle screen. However, this is a 3-inch

Like Nikon’s other recent cameras, the Z fc has a collection of Creative Picture Controls in addition to the Auto, Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape and Flat settings that are commonly used. These have names such as Morning, B

Smaller and lighter than the Crane 2S that was reviewed in issue 233, the new Zhiyun Weebill 2 is an update to the popular Weebill-S. It’s a 3-axis motorised gimbal and is designed to stabilise full-frame mirrorless cameras and single-gripped DSLRs a

DOWNLOAD TEST SHOTS https://bit.ly/DP-244 PRICE: £2,099/$2,299 FOCUS DISTANCE: 0.70m WEIGHT: 795g Fujifilm lenses rarely disappoint when it comes to build quality and user experience. There is no doubt this Medium Format lens carries some bulk, but i

PRICE: £1,149/$1,297 FOCUS DISTANCE: 0.28m WEIGHT: 485g The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED is a legendary DSLR lens that effectively redefined the ‘holy trinity’ professional lens collection all pros aspired to own. We did like the Nikkor Z 24-7

There’s no doubt about it: it’s a tough time for the once-mighty DSLR. Ever since the first mirrorless cameras began hitting the scene, in the late 2000s, the writing has been on the wall for digital SLRs in technological terms, if nothing else. Two

Whether you are working from home or image editing on the go, you no longer need to confine yourself to the display area of your laptop, tablet or smartphone screen. Add a portable monitor to your regular screen and you’ll be able to see the bigger p

Website:www.peakdesign.com Price: £47/$65 As well as adding blue and green colourways to the existing black and ash options, Peak Design has improved one of the best camera straps around with upgraded webbing, a better silicon grip section and more s