SEAS PHOTOGRAPHY Digital } Edition | i PERFECT SETTINGS & MASTER LANDSCAPES & BALANCE EXPOSUREIMMA MABAAAMAAAGAAAMAAAAAAA ASA AAAhAhMbasaAaahsahssAsAaasaAsssaaa AAAhshsasassaassasaasaasaaada 4444sssssh4hssshsass4asaaaad eee esas seen eneeaees AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhaaaaaad IAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS AAAAAAa ds AAhAhhhhhhhhhhhhAAaaaaaada AZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALAAAAALS AAAhshsasassaasssassssaaaaa AAAAAAAAAAAAAahAsaasaaad AAAAAAsasssasssssasassad VIVVV VV VV V VV VV VV VV VV AAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhsahaaaad AAAsAAAsasasssasdssssssdd “Aa4a4a4dadaddadddadadadadadadadasadaadaad NNN | a en es | ee) ee | es es es es ee es ee es es es eeWELCOME TO SEASONAL PHOTOGRAPHY Take charge of the year with photographic flare. Whether you have just picked up your first DSLR or feel like you're stuck in a photography rut and are looking for some ew projects to take you through the next year, Teach Yourself Seasonal Photography has something for you. Discover simple tips that will help you to capture each season with photographic perfection. From kit tips to professional advice and creative projects, this bookazine covers techniques for shooting in the snow, capturing ‘seasonal colours, tackling strong summer rays and so ‘much more. Learn how to get stunning pictures of wildlife and master landscapes no matter the weather. Brush up on your camera skills with a spring time refresher course, create fabulous Sunprints and capture beautiful flowery masterpieces. So, grab your camera and let's get started!4 L FUTURE 4 rSEASONAL PHOTOGRAPHYCONTENTS. CHAPTER 1 Winter Brace the laments and capture the cold he ultmateguideto vier wide Northern exoosu ter atthebeec ramon Frezetheact CHAPTER 2 Spring Enjoy the emerging springte colours ‘Spengelean your sis er local Sprigino actor Great garden ghotogoty CHAPTER 3 Make the most ofthe lng sundays TOstepstostunninasummer landscapes Portatsinthe pool CHAPTER 4 Capture the warm hues of autuenn pera. Auturmnatetracts Iesalabout areas CHAPTER 5 Toke your photograp tothe next evel Weer Spm, ature, 8 New Photographer's Vearbaok 64 108 M2 v2 m 18 34 85 88 190 SCuter osMaster photography inall weathers and find creative inspiration all year long hotography is often referred toasian adventure in ts own right. Whilethas ‘always been popular as an artistic ‘medium, theuse of camerashas| grown exponentially over the last few decades since the dawn of cigital technology. ‘The main appealof photography ss inits ablity to capture the most fleeting of moments, freezing anothervise forgotten event. Images ‘add value to our experiences, as they allow us toappreciatecetal that we would normaly ‘overlook. Photography isan endeavour we can pursue allyear long ~ each season offers somathing unique to study as temperature, light and atmospheric conditions change, enabling us to get more from every location. The benefit of making images through the seasons is that we ae forced to adapt to each condition ast progresses, While a daunting prospectas beginner, itencourages sto rapidly acquire new andessential high-end kil and practice techniques. Summer, auturnn winter and spring all have their own characteristic Tooks, either of scene and ‘subject or perhaps more subtly oflight intensity and colour. This inturn imposes season-spetiic requirements, necessitating good standard of camera work ~afunand ‘exciting method of improving your ‘composition, exposure management and ability to spot picture opportunites Novel subjects or originalways of capturing the same subjects are more tan enough to keep a budding photographer inspired every day. With the folowing tips, youlbe able to take surprising pictures ll year. ‘New Photographer's Yearbook 8Winter may not be the favourite season of 1un-seekers, but as photographers we are able tosee the true beauty of frozen landscapes. The sland is frequently overused, but its true that there sa special magic about seeing a ly transformed by a thick Desa cd Pe Sand permet Serica ert cold v ither and overcome the comm htocatcha while Understand howto take back ourself to avoid underexposure, Even without an in-depth knowledge of your camera settings, being able to predict when smera wil react in different wa reliable results jd you w fewer missed dinner Dut fora sunset, but the progression of ight direction throughout the day is a This means forward planning is eri the know where you want to and what time of day wil nelp yield mot est images of winter, | see if they are ight and brillant as you want. Poparte eo na yCondensation s the enemy of photography, as itcan not only inconvenience the user of 2 ‘camera or lens, but also cause internal damage tothe electrical elements and lead to fungal ‘growth, When returning tothe warmth after a shoot, leave your kit packed away at room temperature for several hours to make the warming process more gradual, reducing water ‘droplet formation on the cold glass and metal surfaces of optics and your camera body. Your camera asa highly advanced exposure ‘metering system, but even this can be confused by the great contrast of snowy landscapes, The bright white of the snow can trick the camera into making an image too dark. Once you are aware that this might happen, you can easily fix the problem. Switch your camera to Program (P) Mode and use positive (+) Exposure Compensation until your shots look bright and airy again, with no muddy brown colours, Use these professional tips for tackling the challenges of working in cold environments and create crisp, stunning images Many longer 200m lenses come bundled with a lens hood inthe box. This is designed to protect the front element from accidental scrapes. but also shields the glass from harsh, direct sunlight, Which can cause flare effects. Flare is instigated by internal reflections between the glass elements, and can be distracting. ‘This is especially problematic with the ow, crisp winter sun, so keep hood on your lens at all times to improve quality. (One of the best aspects of winters the striking ow sunlight, especialy in late afternoon and early evening or in the morning. Whenever the ambient light levels are lower, however, the shutter ‘speed will rap to correctly expose your photos, This makes it essential that you shoot from a tripod, which will keep your ‘camera stable and prevent blur caused by vibrations at these extended exposures, Pick a model that matches the weight of your camera, Make the most ofthe low ambient ight and experiment with longer exposures. lace your camera on your new tripod and use Guided Auto mode — if your camerahas this feature ~to select an exposure that will blur moving water and clouds. Alternatively, Buy an ND fier and place it ‘on your lens so the camera automatically leaves the shutter open longer for ‘eye-catching effects. you shoot at dawn (or dusk, the low ight wil help with tis ‘New Photographers Yearbook 1Cee Peer oer eer SPRING Weather in spring can be changeable and unpredictable, but offers exceptional drama — learn how to master the essentials Springis difficult season to define ‘mastered however, you ae free touse the graphically. After the empties f what spring weather has to ‘there isthe promise of new grav 2 ges the unpre imminent h e nditions, vi \d small mamrn ‘an abundance of strong tones to capture n ith hotography in spring timing Up ineredi sof ight. wit everything. Sinc s litforegrounds standing out against a ‘minutes t nt and attract backarops of dark storm clouds. There a s moveand the have to be used with environment changes. Cl impact c and the natural world, since thsi before heading out to monitor: ‘many organisms are released from inreal-tme;this should help yo tion canquickly _hibernati the best location and time: hasbeen behaviour Visit lacal nat your image: Pa. ea ey aadSpring's ful of interesting textures, patterns and natural Use a range of skills to capture both wide scenic shots deta as new shooisbegnoufurandinsectife somes more abundant. Ths s the perfect opportunity and close-up intimate studies of the natural world to try your hand at close-up photography. Youcan either buy (orrent) a dedicated macro lens or, more affordably, se the ‘macro’ mode on your zoom lens. Look for leaf surface detail, water droplets and other narrative subjects. Keep your camera steady, preferably using a tripod, to ensure sharp images. Tomake the most of stormy skies you have to capture the natural drama. A common, challenge with landscape images is ensuring the foreground is bright enough while the sky does not appear too bright, stripping away the impact. ND grad filters are placed over your lens to darken the sky and reduce contrast. Buy a ‘medium strength (O.6ND) soft rad to begin with to fit most scenes and start with affordable brands lke Cokin, ‘Avimal life also becomes easier to spot in spring as birds and ‘mammals begin to prepare for the warmer months. Now isthe time to hone your skills witha telephoto zoomlens, such as a 70-300mm, ‘and capture stunning, frame-fling wildife compositions, Using alens with Image Stabilisation wil help you capture sharp shots, Support the lens with your free hand and try several focal lengths until you find the best framing option. For the most dramatic lighting, take your photos immediately before or after a rainstorm, This is when you will find the best contrast of dark clouds and raking warm light as the skies clear. The advantage of shooting after the clouds have passed s that the groundis wet, ‘ving attractive reflections, while itis less ikely you and your gear willbe caught in the rain, Buy arain cover for your camera for added protection For standout landscape shots, change the height of your camera fora unique angle Make use of your camera's articulated LCD if thas one to compose a frame shot at ground level, capture detallin the extreme foreground, or raise your camera up high for an elevated view. This will help introduce layers into your composition for added depth and interest, capturing the scene differently ‘romhow we see itnormally every day. "New Photographers Yearbook 13Dr eaneauaeo lees! r Sees Spe Cd : ; | ik | as 1 a SUMMER Bright blue skies pose more ofa challenge than many photographers realise ile sumer is the season favoured b trast, when exploring towns and citi sxaggerate the warm tones of evening s.ifeanbeavery tocapture abstract views of well: respectively. The alter wil help when you ime for photographers. The photographed locations, Try solating small can't be out as late as you'd ike an stil longer days meanitismoredificul tobe _areasof scenes to study therrelationships of want to see warmth in yourlow sun shots, earlyenoughto.capturea high while being mindful making the scene: loser to sunset. oot sunset that areas where For portraits bring your subject into the nile the hat sunof the daytime don’t become too bri! shade to photograph them, as uncif Summeris n n mer is unattractive on skin sider buying @ Pn resp S cs > —TIP1 BuyaUV filter ‘circular screw-thread UV or Skylight filters ‘often the first fer type new photographers buy, most often as a method of protecting the fragile front element oftheir lenses from scratches or breakage. However, the principle purpose of such fters isto reduce the effects of Uttraviolet radiation on the contrast of images shot in open sunlight. This can least to ‘misting’ ‘or haze n landscape and cityscape scenes, reducing colour and impact. TIP 4 Add flash for outdoor portraits Inadditon to bringing your subjectinto the shade, professional portrait photographers use fil flash in their outdoor images, While it may seem counterintuitive to add light when ambient levels are already high, using just a tle flash fill in dark shadows on the subject's face and adds sparkle to their eyes, creating amore energetic, softight detaled, colourful andlifeike portrait. Try turning the flash down using Flash Exposure Compensation itis too obvious for you INTRO. CRAFT STRONG LIGHTING Read these key tips and start to become an expert ‘on working with tricky contrast TIP 2 Use onelens When traveling on your summer holiday and exploring anew city, consider using just one lens for allof you shots. An 18-200mm or 16-300mm, Superzoom wil allow you to capture both wideangle images and telephoto comospitions quickly, without having to change lenses. Not only is this more convenient in the field, but also helps keep weight and bulk to a minimum, Look a third party options from Tamron and Sigma for greater affordability TIP3 Experiment with monochrome Tae eaten hooting modern glass bulngs or mnmatst nscapes. ry using your Eee era pene ee images Whle many advanced Black and white photographers corner ther es eres stothng treshedinagos carers auicker andeasir and enables youto exert wh what Kind of scenes make the bet coloures subjects Why rot play wth bull iter or ereative toning elects? TIPS Adda Big Stopper {A.10-stop NID fiter cuts out so much light that your camera wil select alone. exposure, even in bright sunlight. This, aves a very unique look to surnmer shots, and is useful for minimising the appearance of tourists ~ the shutter is open so long they do not get Fecorded, Switch toP mode, select a low 1SO, put the camera on a tripod and use the self timer to trigger the shutter, vibration tree, "New Photographers Yearbook 15AUTUMN The harvest season is a lands: Autumn is undoubtedly the seas the most permanent cur tothe eri nwhere ange canbe seen to rent in the least time, alandscape rt Inonlyamatter ofa few week ntirely transformed in revealing trong natural phend achall fectively recreate er eed Bene emer aies poner iet cor photographer's favourite for its colour and unmistakable atmosphere ood knowledge of how tocontro and exposure to enhance the most desirable qualities. A good soluti hoot through the entire season to study hhow the colour changes overtime increasing the chances that you capture a best. In adltion to revisiting visit multiple one exhibit varyin including both overcas to reveal citferent tonal ar repro tuction: cou anyieldbetter 3, while sunlight produce airer frames, accompanied by the characteristic glow with which autumn photos are synonymous. “Try incorporating an additonal focal point ike a pet oF child, for more ‘active atmosphere and y sie brighter jourte main subject ~ the scene for awiderCAPTURE A TP1 COLOUR MEDLEY Experiment with White Balance One of the main reasons autumnal mages fais because Try these creative tricks and eam to capture bold colour the camera selects a whit balance that neutralises the lke a professional for unique and memorable images INTRO. strong colours we expect from them, The dominance of reds and oranges often fools the camera into adding blues and cyans, To maintain colour with the iconic autumn TIP 2 Useapolariser A polting titer smost commonly associated with deepening Dhue shes but this phetogaphers secret weapon false del for boosting autumn colour hen shooting ina weedand ervronrtet he wet surface tfleaves ond rocks reflects tack polarised ight reducing poate cobur saturation Aaa clr polarser to your fens androtatete ont to Chserve ow surtace seen is removed and ry redo, Yellows and oranges ae Testored to your beaut autumn scene TIP3 Shootinto the sun Some of the most impactful colour can be Captured when leaves are backit by the sun. During autumn months the sunis already lower in the sky in the mid morning and late afternoon, allowing the photographer to position themselves so that colourful trees Try using positive exposure compensation if the camera mistakenly underexposed your Images and compose so that the sun is partially covered for creative effect. Blur backgrounds ‘Another creative idea fs to 200m in on and isolate an individual leat or detail for less obvious interpretation of the season. Use alonger lens, such asa 70-300mm, or employ the longest setting on yourkit ens, then focus as ose as you can o throu the Background out of focus. ‘Ths creates a diffused background, which holds attanton on your subject and suggosts an impression of Colour rather than aiteral inclusion ofa wide scene. are placed between the lens and light source ‘wow’ factor, manually select the Shade or Cioudy white balance preset to hold those warm colours and exaggerate the colour bias. This can create perfect colour none easy step. Shoot wide angle Itcanbe difficult fo capture the true splendour ofa panoramic autumnal scene. An effective pro technique isto use an Uttra-wide angle lens. such as a 10-20mm optic. place the camera very close to the ‘ground and the sot upwards, to include the spread ofthe colourful canopy. you do not havea ens as wide as ths, use the smallest focal length you have and don't be afraidto turn the camera into portrait orientation, "New Photographers Yearbook 17New Photographers YearbookWINTER WINTER Brace the elements and capture the cold ©) C) Howto shoot winter landscapes Ee /, Winter at the beach J ake the mostt the weatherby capturing the beauly ) Lp, ie went tothe seaside nthe depts of winter to shoot 4S arama and mood of winter F atmospheric coastal landscapes ») Thaw out 5 Simulate the coming of spring with tis technique for J shooting a melting ce stil ite Discover the best ips and ticks for capturing amazing ©) ©) The ultimate guide to winter wildlife rival stots -) Freeze the action Learn how ta overcome the challenges of shooting winter sports inthe snow-clad Highlands of Scotland Northern exposure (7 le readedto the srow-clad lava fields of eeland to shoot dramatic landscapes with Einar Gudmaan “When the light levels drop and the cold seeps in it's tempting to put your camera in your back until spring. Brave the chill, however, and you'll be rewarded” "New Photographers Yearbook 15CHRIS RUTTER Nees o breathtaking images, butitcanbe physically challengingandeven Coen i er ead ce ecu on ‘expertise inhow to safely and sanely capture Mother Nature Pentre arava acc’ erent cacy Foren eS eiUNS NDSCAPES. Lie lool A PSM E- Ue RVoN meer ena ayer Pao) Cee ect TLC BUTS M UT NlU N ker U a td eee A Re eas oer ed Pciuerer eas ere ees See landscape photos. Winters the perfect time eee eres eee eee es Peer or Pee ecg Ceres ra) beauty of afresh fall of snow to the drama of Se ey ‘can transform aimost any landscape into the eet ee Rr an Cee eo Se ee et ea ee ene Peete sae eget also don't have tobe a survival expertto get erate ty sensible about what type of weather and, iii Cee aed Ce er cee ea eee ened litle effort and be prepared for the ‘elements. To maximize these winter eee eee eerste etc) eee eee ate as ect ete een ed techniques toelp you. Toei neeMOUNTAIN SCENES ‘There are few sights more awe-inspiring than mountains in the grip of the cold, snow andice of winter, here's how to capture them TIP #1 Condensation ‘Subjecting your kit to wild changes in temperature is arecipe for condensation. The best way to avoidits to allow your kit to warm-up and cool down slowly inside a closed bag. if you do get condensation on your camera ‘and lenses simply lett clear by allowing the temperature to equalize. Don't swap lenses or take the body cap off your DSLR, as this will cause condensation inside the camera. ~. TIP #2 Be realistic packing your kit used to carry loads of kit on every shoct, but inthe ‘mountains every gram becomes a burden. Sod suggest taking the essentials, one DSLR body, a couple of lenses, along with a polarizer and ND grad fitters, and the lightest tripod that will hold your gear securely. ery etry TIP #4 Histogram its great being abl to instantly check your shots on your DSLR's LCD; however, te check your image's range of tones it's best to look at thebistogram graph. Then you can check i the imagehas ahealty histogram. andisn't ‘cipped'— off the right overexposed, off the leftifunderexposed. itis, adjust your Fixa foreground When shoding dramatic backcrops t's easy to forget about the foreground “i your mourn shots Once you hove decided on your backgroud Tnd feveground abject to enhance the composition ef your mages Then explore ferent venponts to allowyou to compose a shot witha balance and Connection between the foreground the mountain the background. 22 New Photographers Yearbook shutter speed to brighten or darken the image until the graph isn't clipped. But remember, youcan always brighten a dark shot in Photoshop, while you can't darken alight shot itthere'sno detail to rescue.Seu tia e tener sal Pe Ln aa TIP #5 Be safe. Don't take risks The mountains are unforgiving at any time of year, but especially dangerous in winter. Weather can change in ‘minutes and paths can become lost in mists, snow, or Cloud, So always make sure that you have essential ‘survival gear, know your routes, and don't take risks in. the mountains. After anight of hail and snow showers, I decided that witha forecast of sunny intervalsit would beagreat time tohead up tonto the slopes of Bla Bheinn (also knownas Blaven)in the Cuilns. With the temperature well below zero was glad fitted winter tyresas the twisty, single trackroad was covered ince. as only 200 metres high, but with every stepit ‘older as went up the slope. This wasn'thelped bythe 4Omphwind chill and hail showers hammering down, After an hour, Icrossed theslippery rocks andice-cold water very gingerly, as Ididn'tfancy asoakingin the sub-zero temperatures, Havingarrived at my viewpoint itwasacase ‘of waitingin thecoldand occasional shower for a couple cof hours forthe sunset. Despite wearingry warmest gloves, and plenty of layers, my hhands were cold, This made ita struggle to operate the camera, and adjust the polarizer to reveal the coloursin the water and ‘adjust the ND grad filter tobalance the exposure between the ‘skyand the landscape. had to pray that. clear spell wouldlet the sunlight up the clouds above the Cuilns, And they did, just before another hail shower reduced the sunset toamurky glow, and itwastime to getoff the mountain and get warm. New Photographer's Yearbook 23STUNNING SEASCAPES From raging storms to co d clear days, winter's the time to visit to the coast and capture the sea in al its moods.ICH I wasn't ureif itwas the cold, the constantbattering by the westerly wind, or the incoming clouds that were making this afternoononthe shore of Loch Scavaig feel morelike an endurance test than. photo shoot. Ihad walked from Elgolin perfect conditions, butnow there was almost ne light, and the cloud looked ominously thickto the west, where the sun would set inaround 15 minutes, Forlornly, | watched thettde core in so the waves were swirling around the rocks that |iadpicked utas the perfect foreground, Stil, had one cup of coffee eft to hep it my spirits, sol pouredit out, and consoled myself by simply watching the waves and the darkening sky. Then atiny break appeared, the sky started to lighten, and the race was on. cast aside the haitfull cup of coffee, and frantically startedto fine-tune my ‘composition. Once lwashappy with the position ofthe IGHT aHT, —- = camera, ladjusted the polarizer tobring out the coloursin the water, and added a0.9 ND grad to balance the exposure. Despite the low light levels wanted tokeep some detailin, the surface o the water, so set the aperture tofldto give sufficient depth of field tokeep everything sharp. and adjusted the ISO up frommy normal low, or 100 setting.toIS0200, This avea shutter speed of four seconds, which was ust short enough torevealthe detailin the waves. Theclouds had lit up. the sea was abeautifulbiue, and had got my shot. Just a well, as five minutes later the clouds gatheredagain and the scene returned tothe murky, darkness of acloudy winter's evening, tiserrm TIP #3 Know the tides eee ol Ea er ey TIP #2 Theright shutter speed (One of the major choices you have when shooting seascapes is whether you want to freeze the waves in the scene, or blur them, there are dramatic waves crashing on the shore, Iprefer to use a shutter speed of 1/250 sec or faster to freeze their movernent and emphasize their power. But if they are smaler, Iwill use a shutter speed between 1/4 sec and four secs to add blur, but retain some detail Using a longer shutter speed wil create the smooth, misty’ water effect that can be effective, particulary at dawn or dusk TIP #4 Use a polarizer Checking the tides is essential bth for your safety and success when shooting on the coast. The tides will determine what parts ofthe shore are visible in the foreground of your shots, while knowing whether the tide is rising or receding, will help keep you safe. It's generally safest toshoot on a receding tide. as there's less likelnood you'll get caught by rising water. Check online sites such as wivtidetimes.co.uk ee TIP #4 Watch waves ven on areasonably calm day, the seacan be unpredictable, so alvays keep an eye cut for waves and swels that might suddenly enguif you or your kit. | usually A polarizer is ideal for reducing reflections on the surface ofthe water to reveal more colour and depth in the sea, but youneed tobe careful when shooting in low winter sunieht 'sveryeasytooverpoare (DEN blue skies, making ther much darker thanis natural Also, you are using a wide-angle lens, a polarizer can cause one : area abe sky to darken much more than others. giving an uneven effect like to spend plenty of time watching the waves and swells in the area that | want to shoot to see where they sweep up the beach or around (or over) any rocks, before leven think about setting up the tripod and camera. Als, ifyou put your bag down for any length of timeit's best to place it out of harm's way well back on the beach or shore. Salt wator and expensive electronics arenever a good mix. ‘New Photographer's Yeorbook 25__ WINTER) SNOW AND ICE Ittransforms the landscape into a winter wonderland, so next time there's snow here's how to capture the perfect snowy landscape TIP #2 Hot drinks ‘While the right clothes can help you keep warmin the coldest winter conditions, there's nothing lke having a warm drink ‘and some food to help stave off the effects of cold I would even go as far as leaving a lens at home to reduce the weight must carry so that lean take a flask of coffee to help raise my spirits and keep me goingincold > ‘weather. Im also often up before sunlight {and shooting long past sunset. so coffee keeps me going and helps me focus and take better shots! Pe canon TIP #1 Manual mode for control Snowy cold conditions can play havoc with your exposures when shootingin Av mode, so take control by shooting in Manual mode so you can capture the best exposure by setting both aperture ‘and shutter speed manually. Set a narrow aperture around f16 for ‘good depth of field for lnndscapes, then set a suitable shutter speed for a good exposure and to ensure the snow in your scene appears white and not grey and underexposed, A TIP #3 Footsteps Inthe excitement to get your snowy landscape shots t's tempting to walk ‘across the snow inthe search for the TIP #4 Watch out for under-exposure perfect scene, But before you start Walking, take a moment to think ‘about where you want to shoot from, asotherwise you may be creating footprints right across the foreground of your shot 26 New Photographers Yearbook Even the sophisticated metering on your ‘camera can be tricked by large areas of snow in the landscape. When the scene in {ont of you is full ight tones the camera will undor-expose, causing the snow to be recorded 2s.a dull grey. You can overcome this by setting the exposure compensation to +-stopfthe scene includes some darker tones along withthe snow. But, ifthe landscape is completely coveredin snow you ‘may have to increase the compensation to +#2-stop. Checking the exposure in Live ‘View allows you to see and adjust the effects cof compensation,TIP #5 Try capturing falling snow Unite rain, faling snow relatively dry and falls slowly through the ai, oit's much easier to shoot wie itis snowing than in the rain. You stil need to make sure your camera and lens won't get covered snow and water, but if you work quickly you can easily capture this precipitation without harming your camera, Using a Shutter speed of 1/500 sec or faster wil freeze the ‘overnent ofthe snowflakes, while astower shutter speed, such as 1/60 sec or siower will record the fakes as streaks. I wanted to shoot Dettfoss innorthern Iceland, one of the largest waterfalls in Europe, trom the east side ofthe river. But the minor road from Route ito this side was closed due to snow, So, instead drove tothe west side ofthe river. Eventhe tuning tothe track to the car park was blocked by six foot snowdrift, and quietly prayed that there wouldn't be any more snow before drove back Therouteto the waterfall isnormally aneasy walk, butin these snowy conditions the path wasn'tobviousin places, and walking through the snow is alvays much slower than normal Arriving at the falls, limmediately discovered a big problem with shooting Dettfossin the snows: the edges of the gorge Were covered in snow andice, makingitimpossibleto got close enough toget.aciear view ofthe falls. Undaunted. walked along the safe areas to see ifthere were {any good viewpoints. finally founda spot where the ice shelf ‘overhanging the gorge contained some amazing swirling patterns caused by darklava dust. Then, afew seconds later, ‘everything aroundme was covered in water spray, blown up from the giant waterfall below. Stil, washere, sol waited foralullin the wind, and'set up as quickly as possible. Edgingas close to theice shelf as dared, Iputonapolarizer to help bring-out the patterns inthe ice, a (G.6NDgradto hold back the exposure of the sky andsettied on my framing, Shooting quickly, got my image just before ‘another gust of wind deposited. torrent of spray on meand yk. ‘New Photographe's Yearbook 27STORMS AND MOOD Want more drama in your winter landscapes? Grab your waterpro: ‘out when there's rain, hail or storms on the horizon... TIP #1 Correct clothing ating in 00d waterproof ja ssential layers ofc norm, Ph through 0 always carry a black bin b ‘my Canon that! place over the during a TIP #2 Weather forecast Prechcting the weather for shooting rainstorms and moady skies s difficult The deal conditions areWith aweather forecast of intermittent showers with clear spells, Idecided thatit was the perfect day toclimb up Stac Pollaidh in Assynt before sunrise to capture some moody shotsof the views north towards Suilven, On the way up the path on the south of te illthe weather was dry, andl started todream of clear views across the highlands, This dream came toasudden halt, however, as when | walkedover the ridge to face the north east, the clouds descended, and therain poureddown, Iidmade the effort toget this far, and was nearly atthe viewpoint, sol carriedon. Withina fewminutes the rain stoppediong enough for metto set up the camera, although Sea ory € Crt une’ ‘ visting birds, set up perches. E poe \ preening eee Sd feels a more intimate connection r Pris CLOSE TO HOME “There's no reason why you can't get great vildif shots in your own backyard. Garden birds are predictable visitors throughout be encouraged by providing a ‘and varied food supply. FEEDING STATIONS Setup feedersin creuly chosen nations — consider where the ight als throughout the day and whee yeucan shoo fom think doorways windows tor evenshecs).youkeep quit andstil on, enough while shooting outside, bids ean to tolerateyour presence between the subject and the ewer. As the gro be cold, wet, or muddy (or allthres folded away into a camera bag when youve finished Frame grounc-evel shots with the help of Live View and Aperture Priority with a wide aperture. New Photographer's Yeorbook 4APPRENTICE THE PRO a Pr LUCY LANGDON UCU CE CG NIKON D800 eS 7” onary SO naa ceo) 42. New Photographers Yeaibok ——WINTER twoto best effect, so she came tous, and Einar, for help. Einar’s plan was to travel across the ‘Sheefllsjokul National Park and surrounding region in the southwest ofthe country, ashe knows the area ike < the back of his hand, so they set off early. before ‘sunrise, to see what they could get. Lucy loves landscape photography, and her new D800, but she wasnt sure how to combine the TECHNIQUE ASSESSMENT Aperture contol ‘ays. Luey surprised me: she has a [Nikon D800 but had never taken it out of auto mode, This camera obviously has so much more to offer! One of the most important parameters to control for landscape photography is the size of the aperture = this manipulates the depth of field, and you need to be in complete control of it. For landscapes you ideally want front-to- back focus, so we set fin manual mode as our starting point, to ensure adequate depth of field Staying stable Eee ee reste ZZ ot compiicated kt for landscape $F photography, but a good tripod is on AO ‘the ‘essentialist. By handholding, her camera Lucy ran the risk of having blurry photos from camera shake when using longer shutter speeds, The first thing Idd, after ‘moving her out of auto mode, was mesati* to put her D800 on a tripod. Not only nae does this make the camera steady, it also or frees up your hands to adjust the camera for ‘compositional changes, and to adjust settings. Optimum Iso s.. Since Lucy was using auto mode, she was also using auto ISO, iys... When we first arrived at which can be useflin the right Se Kirkjufell [above] | looked at the mountain Lucys rat rr te ee and took a snap. | reviewed the image, and vildlfe/action, but in landscape photography we don't need it. By instantly saw | hadn't captured the lsnamarualmoe were teing magnificence of the mountain. Einar explained that | shot vith aperture and shutter need to think more about my composition: my first speed, and so onlyneedto increase frame included signs, fences, even tourists. He : ccoinneeecullveen athens we Suggested exploring the options first. By moving keep it at the minimum (ie ISO100). down to the black beach we were able to remove all ‘44 New Photogranher’s YearbookTHE DOWN-LOW Einar began by urging Lucy to get down as low as possible. By splaying the legs of his, Gitzo tripod he demonstrated that she ‘could get her camera very close to the ‘ground. There was a small amount of ‘water on the black sand where the sea had just gone out, which acted like a natural mmiror, reflecting the mountain beyond, Shooting from a higher angle would've destroyed this reflection, and the image ‘wouldn't have had the same impact. & & SENSE OF SCALE / Lucy immediately noticed that during the ‘snowy months of winter, Iceland is very monochromatic. There are wide, white stretches of snow, pockmarked with dark black voleanic rock. With very little colour in this early- morning landscape, Einar suggested that Lucy pose someone with ‘bright red coat in the mid-oreground, Not only does this give the image another focal point. it also emphasises the vast scale of Kirkjufellin the distance. New Photographer's Yeorbook 45Lucy says... When you seea beautiful scene it’s easy to forget the first rule of photography: composition is everything. | saw this frozen waterfall in front of the mountain and took a couple of frames from atop a snowy hill. It just didn't have the impact | wanted. The waterfall was very close to me and | could see the icicles hanging above the frozen lake, but in my photos it just seemed to meld in with the ice and snow in the whole scene. Einar suggested | highlight the icicles by getting close to them. There was a small gap ina cave beside the waterfall and he took me in. With a wide-angle lens we framed the icicles next to the mountain peak and included some of the cave wall to portray the intimacy this small cave introduced. This shot wouldn't have worked during summer because | wouldn't have been able to access the cave when the river was flowing. POINT OF VIEW ‘Somuch of landscape photographiyisabout getting the rightangle on your subject to improve the composition. Einar emphasised the importance ofthis by taking Lucy up the side ofa snowy cif togetashot. By shooting across the frazen river, keeping the cicle-laden waterfall to the let thirdof the frame, and mountain othe right, shewas abletotake picture than had interest in both the foreground and background, wth the eye flowing between the two subjects. WINTER PRO'S KILLER KIT kon AF-S14-24mm £2.86 ED inar says, We mostly used a Nikon 14-24mm f2.8 lens because it's so wide. For Lucy's second Hot Shot, we were able to fit n the waterfall and the mountain behind with room to spare. Ths lens is also very fast, which | knew would be handy at the end of the day. for alittle surprise shot | had planned. GOING WITH THE FLOW One ofthe troubles with photographing such an ‘conic area sits popularity. Mostof the day we were struggling togeta frame clear of people, which was especialy frustrating when their footprints damaged the soft, clear snow. But with this shot we made it work, Lucy framed up the camera toallow the snow drifttoactas a leading line, bringing the viewer'seyein towards the person stood nthe middle of the frozen river. His ‘monochromatic clothing echoed the coloursof thelandscape and think makes for an impactful shot. Once you've got your first frame, you lookatitand ask How do|makeitbetter?" Whenyou'reapro, yourollwith what you've gotand stillget the shot * as wh a "New Photographer's Yeorbook 47WINTER CARRYING A CAMERA Einar told Lucy “Youshould never cerryacameraona tripod, alvaystake it off and packit away before moving between locations,” before adding, “but lalways carry my cameraonmy tripod! Alotof photographers do, andit’s handy when youcan see a shot youreally needtoget, but time 'softhe essence." As Einar pointed out, “Sometimes you eedtobreaktherulestoget theshot. PRO’S KILLER KIT Lee Little Stopper Forher third Hot Shot, Lucy needed toseta shutter speed of round twosecondsto beable tocapture the ong siky traisof the water as itswitled around therocks, Even when she setSO100 andher lens smallest aperture attwoseconds the image asstilvery over exposed. To getround this, lenther my Lee Little ‘Stopper ~thisreduceste amount of light reece iesenece ty asp ween eared Lucy says... The shores of Iceland are not u a forgiving. Einar took me to Skardsvik to capture our third Hot Shot, but before we EXPERT INSIGHT got down to the shoreline he warned me about the dangers of the sea: “In Iceland every so TIMING A WAVE often a giant wave comes in and can sweep you out Thebesttimetoceptureawaveiswhenits t0 Sea”. To err on the side of caution we took toa high drawing back out. Asthe wave comesinitenvelopsany — rock and shot down. | really like the layered feel of the Leeaed iar eertnad isn ierheacente ly rocks and cliffs receding into the background, and with that white froth youget from thecrestofthewave. the way the surf sucking back over the rocks leads. By waiting uni the waters starting to draw backout younaveclary detnedmovementtromtnewaterand th eye down and then along the beach {48 New Photographer's YearbookNew Photographers Yearbook 48The basalt rocks at Gatklettur, including this dramatic natural archway, landed there after the last volcanic eruption. | first shot it from straight on, but | wasn’t capturing the huge waves that burst through the holes. Einar brought me to one side of the cliff and showed me that the spray was now visible against the darker sea. To keep detail in the highlights, | had to expose for the sky, as it was so bright compared to the rock [see Keeping the Highlights, right]. 50. New Photographers Yearbook NOT TOO SMOOTH Using Einar’s Lee Big Stopper (a10-stop NDfiter) Lucy managed tosetalong shutter speed of2 ‘secs for her image above, adding a smoothness tothewater Einar saldnot tousea longer shutter speed than this, or the detailin the waves would vanish. "Thelines inthe water are what we need toshow the viewer ~as the waves rush inandout ofthe cove they meet the cliffs with great intensity, and we need tobe able to see thisinthe finishedimage.KEEPING THE HIGHLIGHTS With her shutter speed set to? secs, Lucy tookatestshotat the ‘correct exposure’ f4atISO100. Atta, however, the highlights were blown out, which meant they would be impossible to recover. To get round this, Lucy stopped down tof todarken the image and keep detailinthe highlights, safein the knowledge that she couldalways tease out detain the darker rocks during processing. ICELANDIC BEAUTIES Here are Einar’s best shots of Iceland's gloriously rugged volcanic landscape Kvernufoss Kernufoss isa hidden gem near the much more visited Skégarfoss foss' means waterfall) tis not as popular a photography spot as Sk6garfoss and Selialandsfoss, probably because it takes 15 minutes to walk there. As this shot shows, it's possible tog behind the waterfal Londrangar ‘The two volcanic plugs of basalt named LLendrangar have been hewn out from softer rocks by erosion overtime. Here, the dramatic colours ofa sunset over the Shaefelisnes peninsula are fading out. This is a great location for photographing during sunset, as the colours can sometimes be too Vivid to believe ‘Small human, biglandscape Keringarfolisa mountain range in the Highlands of iceland, Being there is ctherworidly. and photographic subjects are everywhere, The serenity ofthe location can be conveyed by comparing us the tiny humans, tothe vastness ofthe landscape. "New Photographers Yearbook 1Teg THE DAYEXPERT INSIGHT NORTHERN NIGHTS Atnight youdon'tneed Lite Stopper tocreate long exposures. Infact, youneed toletinas much light as possibleto keep exposure times dawn. For Lucy's Shot ofthe Day, I suggested increasing the ISO to 1250, opening the lensuptof5 tolet more ight in(Gacrifcing the depth of field litle) and opening the shutter for ssixseconds at atime. Any longer than 10 secondsand theNorthern Lights lose theirdefinitionas they constantly danceacross thesky, ever staying putin one place. £2) When we arrived back at Kirkjufell, | saw a faint glow in the sky. Einar said they were the Northern Lights, and told me to find a similar vantage point to our first shot of the day. | got low, ensured | hada reflection of the mountain, and framed the lights in the top third of the frame. It was very dark soa long shutter speed was necessary. My first shot was blurry because my hands were shaking in the cold, so Einar suggested setting an exposure delay of 2 secs to give me time to take my hands off the camera. The result is this Shot of the Day. | was blown away by it ~ the lights are positively glowing! Lucy really improved during the busy day. After realising she needed to concentrate on framing and the basics of composition, she started to get her eye in. Inher Shot of the Day the mountain is well-balanced compositionally, creating great contrast between the black sand and the green Northern Lights. She's framed the scene well by making sure the mirrored peak works as a leading line. This shot shows that she understood the importance of composition and simplicity - and she did so under pressure, since the lights only appeared for 15 minutes! ‘New Photographer's Yeorbook 53The mission ‘© Photograph the beach ‘out of season for atmospheric wintry scenes Time © 2hours Skill level © Beginner © intermediate © Advanced Kitneeded | 2Tived © Lens cloth | eWarm ciothing WINTER NTIER AT THE BEACH We headed to the seaside in the depths of winter to shoot atmospheric coastal landscapes with a hint of chill le tend to think of a beach as a place for sunshine and swimming. but when it's cold and blustery itcan be just as ‘exciting for photography You might be ‘met with a brooding sky, delicate frost. thick fog, ‘even full-on snowstorm, All these things can add to the atmosphere of your photos. it's one of those things that sets us photographers apart from the happy snappers ~ ‘everyone gets their cameras out ona fine dey, but ‘only adedicated photographer wouldheadit the beach inthe snow. Conditions such as these can imbue your photos with a different kind of mood ‘and substance. “Thereare other benefits, Youre likely tobe the ‘only one there — on our beach the only other people were a couple o fellow photographers ~ so the views are likely tobe less cluttered and the sand (or ‘snow) more pristine. What's more, in winter the sun stays loner in the sky for longer, which means mare interesting, directional light throughout the day. ‘Then there's the later sunrise and earlier sunset, ‘convenient for those who don't fancy geting up too early or staying out too late. Even the early onset of ‘wlght can be used to your advantage. Inthis project well explore some of the ‘opportunities youre likely to find along the wintry Coast. From brooding seascapes to snow-covered shorelines and long exposures at twilight, there are ‘mary dalghts to discover on your typical out-of ‘season beach. It's quite enough to senda shiver, ‘down the spine. ‘New Photogrophers Yearbook 55WINTER TOP KIT WINTER GEAR TIPS Abs WL PADDEDTRIPODLEGS @DISPOSABLEWIPES ¢) ACLEANSENSOR gods partie those Al tet ea spray. in Itsagoodideatogve thatcomewithmetalgs.canandsroweancausehawe _yoursensoraceanbeforea etvery cold and uncortable {ool Some nave apaddedieg ‘omakeitmorecomfrtable rot pehapsit time treat yeursettoamoreluaycarbon freed? with yourlenses aed uichly render themusdes Aset of disposable les wipes ike this cermesinveryhandy for when yourensothinetably petsvet photography tip. especialy when shacing seascapes. 2s theexganseof sky areibeach willow up ay annoying sensor mats especialy a arrow apertures ‘SPAREBATTERY Sedrgyourcompastion ink View syeryusetutin thesekindot coritors, but suchheayy use ofthe screens arealdranon the battery Keep sparen aninsidepocketto eept warm, asters realy on he the cold WATERPROOF BOOTS, Viamnateprootcothesarea rmustincold and wet eons, asmelasnaterproot bootstor thosetimesthatyoure socaughtupin taking theshot that youd otc the waves sweeping in over your ares TOP TIPS CHILLY COASTAL PHOTOGRAPHY ‘Watch the sand and seas and learn how to control your exposure length for beautiful blur QUICK TIP Wash your tripod legs in fresh water after a trip tothe beach. as the salt and sand can cause havec ifleft too long ‘TREAD CAREFULLY Check the forecast and tie times belorehand, and spareathought for where you read when you arrive atthe beach You dant want to walkover the pistne sand or snowifthats where the best shot might be ae WATCH THE WAVES Study the patterns of waves they'often frmsmal chanels and streams asthe water reads fromthe bosch. Use these ins and wis inyour compasitons to lead the eye out towards stant points of itees 58. New Photographers Yearbook BRING YOUR TRIPOD No sefespectr landscape photograrher woudbe ‘without ther tripodatthe beactn winter the ight eves are lower and ls ight rakes oe essential so youcan sow your stutter arcapture beaut Ga (S010) cx er ey ra a o [62 gp Go mh Ci Ld SS a SLOW YOUR SHUTTER Shootin light to create motion iurin the water ardclouds Set Aperture Pri, anciSO100.Inweak ight tho shutter spoedillprobably be asecondr so you wantto _Bostner use an ND teWINTER TOP TIPS WINTRY SEASCAPES ‘The typical winter beach offers lots of photo opportunities ~ here are a few to look out for. CONVERT TO MONO FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND WHERE SNOW MEETS WATER Oreothebeetisatshatngat te bosch winter MxOreotheestiestoheadto te beaches Moody shies swiingsess, _thelahofpeape wnchmesnthesndwibefstand_atyupethseesrg stain vere ae apy Craegyrocks these festorescatrAsngleinecttxtrtsenanoterveepsine thes Seats shuterspedor2 52 sresleryingoutfora punchy beschnales ail. storg competion trove bur hover monochrome conversion Biackand white hlps to emphasize strong shapes ‘textures and patterns (ike the sand patterns in Tip3), soit’s ‘theideal look for many sea scenes, Outof-season colours can often be muted ‘and subtle, soask yourself ‘whether they're realy necessary at allo the success ofthe image. Most photographers have their own preferred method of mono ‘conversion. We favour Nik's free albeit nolonger LOOK FOR SANDY PATTERNS MINIMALIST SEA SCENES supported) Silver Efex "Youcan usualy ind lot of interesting pattems, Beaches canbe rater featureless —buthatsnotabad Pro Photoshop plugin texturesandleadinglinesinthe sand, Hee.amintureof thing talents quite nicely toa minimal approach. (wgooglecom/nkcollectior). ackandnocmalsandereates.an urusualpattem that Pckautasinlerockand frame agains the sea ad sky fora leasthe ee towards the cistant rocks, simplelean compas, be. ‘USE BEACH BUILDINGS FRAME ALONE FIGURE Beach hus canbe put ous in your compestions. With sucha featureless expanse of sky and water, alone Here the snow-cowrescorugatedreaf of ashed creates fig, ike ad wake, sherman or our ello leading ine tovare the sea. herise andtallottheroot photographer. can make for agoodfcalpoint. Here the echoing the peaksin the distance. lines fromthe snaw nd wate led towards him New Photogropier’s Yeorbook 57To take a macro shot of melting ce One hour Intermediate DSLR Macro lens ipod Black backdrop Lamp (a desk lamp is fine) Subject (eg leaves) frozen niles 58. New Photographers Yearbook THAW OUT Simulate the coming of spring with our technique for shooting ametting ice stile {epeniding on where you are inthe world, spring may stl feel litle way off ~ but asa photographer you don't just have towait for the moment, sometimes youcan create it or yoursel ozen subjects have awintry magical oftheir ‘own, and the way the ice around them helds on to {andrefracts the ight ast melts means no two photographs are the same. This projec involves finding a bright, vibrant subject, then freezing tin. ablock of ice. youre Using buoyant subjects, such as lowers, place them ina pot of shallow water. allow tis to freeze, add ‘and then ‘more water tofully submerge the flo freeze it again. (Once the block of ice is ready, you are going t nd above some candles, the idea being to feature amixofice, water, fire and perhaps even some smoke allin a singe stil-ife image. You'lineed a macro lens in arder to get really close to your subject, but if you don'thave one you can shoot wider and include more ofthe candles within the frame using your standard zoom at fll zoom, You could also use a cheaper alternative toa fed macro lens, such as. a magnifying fiter or anextension tube Macro photography provides all sorts of challenges, from requiring extremely precise focusing with anarrow margin for error. tocaling ona keen attention to detail when creating and composing your scene. Despite these challenges, with some careful positioning andkey settings you too willbe capturing stunningly detailed ‘macro meltsFIRE & ICE wa or DEEP FREEZE Make yourceblocksn advance start atlas the ay before your shoots a good dato make multiple igetHocks sothat you haveroreoptonsavalable them inplastc tubs andjust pur warm water ce theundersiceaf the bax to get your block ou. PROP IT UP Peston uric above the canes ether by roppingitup (use the edgeo tetra. as. can. oF anything youlkeaslongasitsoutof stot. or suspending rom above on string. Fyoususpendit Use utile pieces of stinginorcerto stable and stopitspinning. SMOKIN’ COLD door or window open for safety if youhavea safe environment to shoot in. try setting the ice cube on fire. Pour a small amount of sightly flammable fluid vor theice, just ike you would Christmas pudding, and then lightit BACK TO BLACK HOLD A CANDLE Setup your backdrop andlight Weusedablack Postion your candles agains your background (out dletto soateoursubect, witha tandard4O-natt_nttonelose remembering ou'Tneedto suspend the houschaldlamp te therght light thesceneI'salsoa iceabove them. Oneflameict particular efetive 0 _soodidea to put down ata haIsitunderneathyour we ranged three canes in aline Wider shots flo subjecttocatchdrippingwaterandarycardlewax. smaller tealight can aso resut nineresting shapes. ‘OPEN WIDE ICE MELT Asyoursceneistkeltobelwit.youmightneed tint thecances and shot rom ow downto crop touseasionshshutter speed soplaoe your cameraona_outthetrayand ary stands used to holdun the oe The tripod youneedto. Keep the degthof ed shal, wth ice willl qc ths s reat for showing the anapertureo say. £320 separate the subject defrosting process, but means youhaveto shoot quickly ‘forthe background Set $0100 to eliminate too. Oni ight the candles when yore absclutely ready crwanted noise toshoot For something abit ciferent.try focusing on creating smoke cB. . around your subject Sit te cen ametal tray andplace pices of Bs cardboard around the sides of the cube, then set them alight. = _ ‘Smoke will rise over and around the ice, creating a shroud Bay ~ elemental scene. Be sure todo this in anopen space witha nearby EN te ge ~ "New Photographer's Yeorbook 58WINTER The trick is to override your camera's metering ‘system, to brighten the image upThe mission © To capture welhexposed imagesof winter sports like climbing and skiing Time © One hour Skilllevel © Beginner © Intermediate © Advance Kitneeded © DSLR WINTER THE ACTION We ventured outtinto the snow: clad Highlands of Scotland to show you how to overcome the challenges of shooting winter sports ction portraits are always challenging to take, as you're faced with fast, erratic movement and, often, dificult oncltions 00. In winter, the snow can create ‘numberof added complications too. ‘You can't rely on your cameratt get the ‘exposure right, asthe abundance of white can ‘confuse its metering system. In essence, your ‘camera expects the bulk of the image to be a rmidtone, and ill herefore try torender the snow asarey, ‘As wellexplain the tricks to override your ‘camera's metering system, to brighten the image tp, and ensure the snow looks white, not grey. This has the added advantage of brightening up your subject, so they don't look'sihouotted" ‘against the snow, We'll aso explain how to gauge how much to brighten your image up, depending ‘on the weather and lighting conditions. and also how to double-check that you've exposed the snow ‘and your subject correctly For our shoot. we headed up onto the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glencoe, inthe Highlands of Scotland, to shoot mountaineer Alex - though the fundamental technique willbe the same regardless ‘of what winter sport you'r shooting. For out-and-out action images, the obvious ‘temptation isto crop in tight on your subject using long lens, but in very dramatic locations ike this. itsusualy agood idea totry to capture the drama ‘ofthe location, anda sense of your subject making journey through the landscape, ‘With this in mind, we opted for a24-85mm kit lens to enable us to fit in more ofthe surrounding landscape. Follow the steps across the next few pages and shoot wintry action for yourset. "New Photographer's Yearbook 61QUICK TIP Enable your camera's highlights in display ‘mode under the playback menu, Blown out highlights will flash when you review shats, so youll duickiy know when, you'e losing Valuable deta FOCUS TRACKING Swichyour camera to A.C made toensble Continous autofocusing while youre tracking your subject. Sette autofocus tone pins to give more ‘oom for ror at speed you've got acer background the 30 mode s excl. but itcan gt confusedby busy backgreuncs. 162. New Photographers Yearbook CONTINUOUS SHOOTING Set your drive mode to Continous, soyoucan capture _arapid sequence of images asthe action unfolds, Den just ‘spray and pray’ though ~antciate the action and shootin shortburst asthe action reaches ts peak (ona sing tun, say, oas.asnowbalistrown).fyou ust hold your finger on the shutter yourmightjamupthe buffer then miss actionBRIGHTEN THEM UP Make sure that your rmodelis wearing bright, colours. tohelp them standout fromthe background orange or red are ideal. Very ight colours wil beni with the now, while very dark colours wilend up laoking lke sihousttes, Most outdoor clothing isvery colour to ensure that youcaneasly be seenwhen out inthe ils, wich of course means youllbe easier tospotin photographs too, SNOW BUSINESS GET IN POSITION ether you're shooting climbing skingor even Snowball ght, youneed to find the best backrop forthe _22ton se explore the cation untiyou find the best vantage point andthe experiment withthe angle and focallengthuntiyourehapey wih the framing. EXPOSE FOR THE BACKGROUND Next, you need to expose forthe background. At 1V160 sec and $0200, our 10 was suggesting an aperture of 35, butas mentonedintheintro this resiled nan image tat was an average mid-tone sot snow ended up looking re ae Alex as completely Under exposed ec ae ae TOM oi a Ta Tay BUMP UP THE ISO Inshuter prionty mode the shutter remais ed at your chosen valu, so when ou dan postive exposure ‘compensation, the camera has to sta wider aperture. I you already at ourlens’s widest aperture, youlineed to upthe IS0 0400 or 800 set Auto ISO. |STAY SHARP. 2 shutter ity mode, nd mako sure your shutter speeds fast enough to capture sharp shots of your acy A speedo 1/160 see shouldbe fst erough for waking nd clerbng.butyou wilnedashuiterspeedot /1000sec or faster for very fast spr Ike king. UMP ee COMPENSATE FOR THE SNOW Te way roundthisista dain some poste exposure cempersaton using the +/-buttontobxighten things up very overcast contons +] shoud te suficent. but night sunlight younight reed to go upto +15 toensurethe snow (and your subject re well exposed. or Sprig ce tae ee REVIEW YOUR IMAGES Once you've taken your shot. fsa goodidea tocheck the histogram Asthe whites re the most coerentoneinyour sony landscape, yeu want the bukofthe graph flan he "ihthand side ofthe istopram, witout ling of the odge as tnswouldiadcate details beens), "New Photographer's Vearvook 63SPRING Enjoy the emerging spring-time colours andimprove your Flower power! ‘Shoot stunning garden scenes and flower images with Learn how ta capture beautfu spring flower shots and top tps from Cive Nichols, Spring into action get up close with a macro lens Shoot a bug's eye view Get dav low with this quick botar projec that elves you au Great garden photography Top garden photographer Give Nichols shows our apprentice how to capture marvellous macro shots photography ature New Photographer's Yearbook 65SET UP YOUR DSLR Lay the groundwork for better shots by Setting up your camera correctly t'svery tempting to skip outside with your camera atthe first sign of sunshine, but while inspiration is avitalingredient for good shots. taking the time to understand how your camera works is equally important, By getting to grips with all the different settings, menus and options available, youll know how changing them wil affect your final images. So, let's start with the basics: image quality. Your DSLR can be set to shoot JPEG or Raw images in different sizes, or both simultaneously. With JPEGS, the camera does much ofthe processing for you but the disadvantage of tis that lots of image informations discarded, Raw files, on the other hand, preserve exactly what your camera recorded, which is much more than appears in the captured image. This gives you more scope for editing images afterwards, to tweak white balance, Picture Styles ‘and, most importanty, the exposure. Apart from Situations where speedis more crucial than quality, such as sports photography, youre almost always, better off shooting Raw. Raw files are much larger, et somake sure your memory cardhas plenty of shooting, use manual focus and storage and buffer capacity. Cet rennet WHITE BALANCE Lighthas a ‘colour temperature’ as wells brightness value, Cool temperatures add abiue cast or tint, tothe ligt, while ‘warm temperatures give an orange cast. The temperature depends onthe light source and, if you'r shooting outside, the time of day. Generally. Auto White Balance does afine job, but for better results, ‘set White Balance for tt ambient ighting. Ona sunny spring day, use Daylight, for example. Shooting Raw images ‘means that you can easily alter the white balance post-shootf youneedt. 168 New Photographer's YearbookAUTOFOCUS EXPLAINED Your camera has agri of autofocus points, which you canuse to select which part ofa scenes in sharp focus. InAuto AF selection mode, the camiera measures all autofocus poms and locks on to the nearest one, With ‘manual selection, you can choose the point nearest the rmainarea of interest. There are three autofocus mades. One-Shots the go-to for static subjects. Al Servo (Continuous focus) is for moving subjects, and Continually refocuses to keep things sharp. Al Focus isa mixture of both, initially locking on toa subject with (One-Shot, but switching to Al Servo if the subject moves. Woes DeSean O Bestforgenerlshootng themeter Thstakesareadngbasedarounda — Coverngthesmalestareasver swith evaluative ameter reading takes readings acrossthe woe ‘srl areaintheceniteof the thecental AF point.thisspecialed _stakenacross the whale rere. seen, talulates an average Vewindersbesttouseinscones _modeoffespirpointprecison, but Theres mare emphasis on subjects bbasedtovaristheactne AF point, _withhigh-contrat kere. itcanbe harder to judge tones inthemicdl ofthe picture. New Photographers Yearbook 68MODE MASTERY ~~ Stuck on Automatic exposure mode? Take back control of your captures with our advice ull Autois often the starting point on the Mode dal for anew DSLRowner.I'sa good way to build Confidence, as the camera ‘chooses all the settings for you. However. its alsohit ‘and miss, because the ‘camera doesn't know what yout shooting. Manual mode gives youthe most controlaver exposure settings, with ameter reading displayed inthe view'inder or on the LCD screen to guide you. Itean also slow things down and cause youto miss key moments of action, however. The semi-auto modes, Aperture (§v) or CT priority, offer a nise. Use these when conditions or subjectsare rapidly changing, or to concentrate more on composition ang movement in \weesting with ues preci rercieraats THE BASIC ZONES Canon provides two ranges of shooting modes - the Basic Zone and the Creative Zone, EOS professional digital cameras only offer the Creative Zone modes, but mast consumer madels have both. There are ‘several Basic Zone shooting modes, including Close SEMI-AUTO MODES It you want more creative control over your exposures, but aren tread to go fully up, Portrait, Sports and Landscape. These are ‘manual try switching to Aperture (Av) or Shutter (Ty) priority mode. You designed for beginners who haven't mastered the choose the aperture or shutter speed respectively, and the camera sets the ‘concepts of exposure. Bear in mind that they don't Fight shutter or aperture for a standard’ exposure ‘alvays produce reliable results, 70. New Photographers Yearbookue eran ae Poetics Earn ei ried Ener) USING MANUAL MODE your Pressthe Qbutt ur apertwe Decide whether stu shutterbuten then put apertuelsmere key to your mage "New Photographers Yeorbook 71SPRING EXPERT EXPOSURE Stuck on Automatic exposure mode? Take back control of your captures with our advice aking contro of exposure with your DSLR means actively deciding which part of scene you want to ‘expose for, and how bright or dark ‘your shots are overall, Exposure is determined by the combination of aperture, shutter speed and ISO (as ‘demonstrated by the exposure triangle clagram on the right). Together, these three settings controthow much ight reaches the sensor inside your camera, Remember that different setting combinations can capture the same brightness in an image ~ for example, 1/500 sec at £4, 1/125 sec at 8, 01/30 sec at f16.Each image taken Jd be equally bright, but the depth of eld (how much of the scene is infocus in the resulting shot) would change with each cifferent aperture setting. EXPOSURE TRIANGLE aa ana O EXPOSURE TRIANGLE ‘The three fundamental elements of exposure are aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Imagine these rake up three sides ofan exposure triangle. and that creating a balanced exposures, a juggling at between these settings. When you alter one element, you have to @ ‘compensate by adjusting at least one ofthe ather two. For example, awide aperture and a short shutter speed might produce the same exposure as a narrow aperture with alonger shutter speed, but the resulting images wil be cifferent. The trick to getting the ‘correct ures to get all three elements working together so you get the results you want, READING THE HISTOGRAM UNDERSTAND IT Aistogram shows te tonalrangef your image heeft side corespandsto shadow detals andthe right side highlights so you cansee wht onal detalisrecerded and how muchslet. youcompase Live View nade ardaftervards ‘when reviewing hats. op the istogram, pressinfountlitappearsontheLCD screen, FIND IT READ THE SHAPE Abel shaped histogram indicates acorect ‘exposure, Shots skewed tothe et contain darker tones. whe thoseto te ight have more highlights Cppedtones touch the edges ofthe graph Yaucan view te histogram ofimages bath as 72. New Photoprophe’s YearbookSPRING 2 nN 4 9 J { ‘2 e f to ‘to improve your images by inve in thoughtful framing with your DSLR PATTERNS AND TEXTURES jects or scenes with distinc pattern the viewer's eye into the frame. More often than not, this is done by Compositions suit architectural shots, or close your main subject off to ane side, rather than bar patternsin leaves or flowers. Som middle, ta make the frame more dynamic, hat shoo x kbetterinmono, so try c en editing 74 New Photographer's Yearbook9 THIRDS AND THREES ae Wastrisckssccomprstoalappeeh. TQ COMPOSE withthe rule of thirds. To get started, divide your scene into a rough 3x3 arid and then position key objects or areas along the lines or within the grid There are no hard and fastrules for creating ‘squares. This approach works wellfor landscapes if youplace the horizon _pleasing compositions. However, a number of line on the top or bottom third ofthe frame, established guidelines can be applied in almost any situation to enhance the impact of your scenes, In'some instances, including empty space ~ or negative’ space, as it's referred to in photography - can enhancea subject. For other subjects, youll get better results by filing the frame with your subject, zooming in to remove background distractions. USE GRIDS TO COMPOSE When you shoot in Live View mode, you can display agrid on your cameras LCD monitor. This ill overlay your scene, and can be sed to align or position objects when ‘composing images. On most models, there are several options to choose from, Toactwvate the grid feature, head to your camera's main menu, then navigate to Live View Settings, and turn Gri Display on. The frst sridwith nine squaresis generally the ‘most useful asit's identical to therule of thirds. The grid won't be displayed on your final images, but i's a handy tool for helping you to frame up shots. Leading lines can be used to draw the viewer's ‘eye into and through a scene. I you're shooting landscapes or architecture, they can add real impact. In terms of landscapes, for example, look for paths, ines of trees or walls that spit the scene up into segments. New Photographer's Yeorbook 75= = Take stunning garden scenes and flower images this spring, with top tips from one of the UK’s most-published horticultural photographers, Clive Nichols pringisin the ar - the birds are singing and gardens are blooming into ie ‘with bulbs and shrubs bursting into flower on the ground and trees sprouting the fresh green leaves of anew season, However, capturing these fleeting moments of beauty at this time of year requires commitment, patience and a liberal dose of good weather! For the past 30 years| have travelled allover the UK and Europe recording the best gardens and flowers on my Canon EOS:1Ds MI prolevel camera, Over the following pages | ll share my top tips for shooting great garden and flower images, both outside andinside. 76 New Photographers YearbookSPRING Se New Photographer's Yearbook 77eer eres dimensionality to this stunning pee its GARDENS A s INRISE your alarm clock if you want to capture gardens at their b The early bird Ifyouare not with backlighting somist, hat thereis often capture jotapher's YearbookSPRING Peon Cet’ Ceieeaecenn) Perea) "New Photographers Yearbook 78LIGHT & COMPOSITION Look for natural frames and varied viewpoints Reading the light Look for frames Lightisthe most important Framing your garden imagesis, elementinany photograph easy inreally good gardens Backightingis fantastic for adding because the designer has used dramaand beauty to garden frames tocreate pictures within scenesandflowers, particularyin the garden. Pergolas, arches and ‘the early morningandlate evening. doorways are all good subjects to Ithelpstoshowthetranslucency of frame views of gardens. Using a flowers, suchasanemonesand _telephatoz0omiens allows you Poppies.andaddsanicerimlight _tocrop tightly and frame the ‘floral subjects. Sidelighting will picture inexactly theway that emphasizethetextureofsubjects you want. lke bark and leaves, and soft . ‘rontallightingis greatforshowing Frontand backlight the rich coloursand detain Softfrontallightis ileal for ‘gardens and plants, Midday sun's shooting close-upsof flowers tobeavoidedatallcosts:asthesun outdoors, isthe perfect ight isdrectly overhead and strong, for showing subtle colour thereare few shadowstoaddthree variations and details on flowers. dimensionality togarden scenes, and foliagebecause itislow- shadow detalislostandhighlghts contrast ight similar tousing a becomebumtout-Ifyouhaveto _softbox beside the lens ra shootinthe middle oftheday. t's __shadowlessrng lash. Shooting better towatforcloudy conditions; towards a subject withthe light cloudsactlikea giant softbox, coming from behind creates a Feducingcontrastand revealing __rimlight around the edge of subtlecoloursanddetailsinflowers _flowersand foliage that s very andtoliage. flattering to the subject aes [Sooner eerie moana SoS eepean ey Pteeoneni tetany ch eer) 010 aed eee {80 New Protogranher’s YearbookSPRIN Composing your shots Composing garden scene withinthe frame to make an attractive photo isnot aways easy as gardens can have amultitude of elements ‘within them. Beng atthe right placeat the right time is thekey asl the elements ofthe sceneneed tc gardenphoto.Viston regular occasions 50 that you can catch areas as they come intoleaf corflow Usea telephoto zoom ens tocut out = unwanted areas of agarden or border that are sop wonlipertt tk notlooking good ~suchasa badly chosen jks ora tee or shrub that has gone over. Taken with ittuse ronal ght erent) Peers ents rt) rc = | ‘ows | Ca eer) re "New Photographer's Yearbook 81SPRING CREATIVE CLOSE-UPS Get really close to show the natural world in incredible detail Crop in close Donte! that youhave to show the flower inits entirety, Use amacrolenstogetin super close fr larger than-ife deta filing the frame andpicking out the pattern ofits unfuring petals. For the mest eye-catching detai-packed results, shoot as Square-on tothefloweras possible. square crop alsoworks wellwth tis shape ot flowery subject. Coloured backdrops Shooting flower against abackcrop of same-colouredplants an work extremely well Useamacro or zcomlensto sole the subject fromits background: the trick istoensurethatits sharp whi its neighbours are biown so much outof focus that theybecome a subtle wash of colour so.use awide aperture and get up close, butensure that there's good distance between your chosen plantand those in thebackground. Hidden depths When shootingup very close with amacro lens, deptho field isseverelrestrcted, and whilea degree of background blur can bepleasingto the eye. there'sa danger that too much blur can esultin the subject ey becomingindistinguishable. Use anarrow MRM ee : aperturearound I6toincrease the depth (CSUs) : offieldso the entirefloverheadissharp. aaa andattipod to keep the carnera y rocksteady, Keep it When photographing close-ups outdoors, even the faintest breeze gently blowing, delicate flower heads can result inblurred shots, either due to movement of the ‘lower at slower shutter speeds, or it slipping from theplane of fcus when dealing with an extremely shallow depth of field. Shielding the plant from gusts with a reflector can help, oruse a clothes pez to _gently clamp the plant stem against asolid support ~ such asa stick pushed firmly Into the ground, Tae | Gd en to 182 New Photographers YearbookSPRINGSPRING FLOWERY FIELDS & TREES Shoot broad swathes of colour in everything from fields of flowers to trees full of springtime blossom Fields of fire Everyonehas heard ofthe up fields in Holand ~ and they make fantastic subjects for photography, Butyou dont need to travel abroadtosee something similar: Springtme in Lincolnshie'sa photographer's dream, wih ‘waves of golden datfodis ing the fields for Several weeks inthe areaknownas South Holand. Capturinathe mass of flowers iseasy witha zoom lensand, youre fortunate enough to havea sunny day include the sky asthe combination of blue sky ard yellow daffolis works extremely welin photographs. Get down at groundieveland Useamacrolens to pickoutindividua flowers above youagainst abuse sky brillant against yellow ‘owes under sunght ‘84 New Photographer's Yearbook eta Sey Seni vee peri tues | Gomer tee | Com im ALIS Bae | es 95 0 Atime to blossom Springblossomsneed to becapturedrightat thei peak flowering = too early andthe show won theatit's best, to late and youll have bare branches hile the grounditittered withthe decaying remnants. Zoomingin fora tighterop keeps your frame uncluttered, while narrow aperture keeps everything shar. {rom foregroundto background. The sky's the limit Springblossoms need tobe capturedright at theirpeak of lowering - to early and the show won'tbeatit’s best, too late and you'l have bare branches whilethe ground itittered with the decaying remnants. Zoomingin fora tight crop keeps your frame uncluttered, while _anarrowaperture keeps everything sharp, frornforeground te background, ‘These besutifl datos were overexposed sight, to keep the ‘le scene bight and cheerfulSunburst pathway Tinirgleewyihngwthgardenchotganty, mrllhod wala tle ern/Bossornwes atisverybest bere sootnglt lo Une BM espoctieratttinecicay~atloanthe Sunweshighe Rtheshy. so byusigarorrow Blossom along the rmaingrive at Carey Hours garden in Gloucestershire apertureof 122, vetumeditintoasunburstto fl Use| Gnd Nn AL ‘enhance the summery feeling. "New Photographer's YeorhookCOLOUR & ABSTRACT Complementary and contrasting colours can be equally powerful ‘The great indoors ‘When the weather is por outside, don't be atta tobeing subjectsindoors.youhave a ardenyou can bring flowers inside to photograph when they are at their best but i you don'thaveagarden don't despair - go out andbuy flowers tobring home from your local frist or nursery. ‘Tryaduotone Getting creative wth flower close-upsis fun andcan transformyour pictures. like to usea dluctone which sbasicallyturing'an image intoa biackand whitepeturein Photoshop then adcingatouch ofcolour~togivea vintagelooktomy floral close-ups. Coloured backgrounds Shoot flowers against very simple backdrops. Use coloured sheets of card ~or velvet want amatt black background ~ and experiment by shooting your subject with cfferentlenses and by moving the subject around to findits best side Place the card about ametre behind ‘the subject and think about using a colour that issimilarto the flower you are photographing Natural ight Keep the lifting spe -Itento avid ash andvse softatiraldayight off tothesice of My subjects aerthfocig indo Matsa idealight source, Amacrolnsistrobest choice: asitalowstorrareiing closeups and youcantow backgrounds easly outot Tociewthwide apertures suchas 60" Your aperture wil ependonhow lose yeuite toch what argleyoure shooting, the Scoot he tower andhow show youwant the depthotfoitobe Clive Nichols tutors at the online photography school MyPhotoSchool His fourweek Flower and Plant Photography Masterclass runs ‘throughout the year, and costs £145, More info at \wurw.my-photo-schiool.com. ‘86 New Photographer's Yearbook — # ® pers | Hse 8000rere emphasses the patients Ecorse rea nen Serer Pence matt background Thre shots ofthe dark Runs eos Posen) SW, sy jtagrapher’s Yearbook 87SHOOT A BUG’S EYE VIEW Get down low with this quick botanical photography project that gives you a unique view of nature viewpoint 10 minut Beginner Th get the camera as ow down a ect light possible and aim it skyward, preferably withthe sky We looked for trees and ferns that wauld frame cur shot, and short bluebells added amuch Thetrickistogetaslow fo.c"% sh of cool blues to the ower third of our Vide-angle lens as possible and aim spring and summer months, andit doesn't nae skyward, preferably ee nara to take on when you have h hour or so spare shaded by the canopy {88 New Photographer's YearbookGET THE LOW DOWN Go WIDE A wide-angle ens fits in more ofthe sceneand ‘therefore more lowers. They naturally have some Pincushion distorton,ardthatelstrtion can evokea sense ofbeingasmal amongst the undergrowth looking upat theflowers Anything wider than 35mm willbe pric. |GET A BETTER VIEW Engage Live View to seebetter withouthaving to eer avkwrardly through the vewinder.ADSLR with an articulated sereen rakes things much ease. Dont have snartculated sereen? We're afraid i'shingin the mudfor you! ‘METER TO ZERO Ta correty balance thelight in your image, engage Matra metering this takes an average eating across the whole ame rom xighthighlightstodark shadows Yousont watt blo out the sky's ait Fit onthelight meter. STAY STEADY A great bit ofito keep your camera stoady while low tothe groundistouseaminirped. The Joby DSLR Gorilapod cantotda carera long withasmallenswith absolut ease, and the egs canbe bert nto ary kndof shape. makngiteasy toget al angle shooting upwards. BLUR THE BACKGROUND Aide aperture suchas, decreases your depth field wich means when you focus on that closest flower, more ofthe flowers behind itil lured out vas bgt on the day we sat, so wehept ourIS0 at 100 and et Nanualexposurerrade x ‘SET THE AF POINT Choose single AF pont or graupmodeautofocusin thecustom settiegmenu, then mene the AF pontonthe CO seen uti yuiefcuseden your nearest ower Hitswndy, ake the shot immediately afte focusing ‘your flower may move andbecame cut of focus. + POLARIZER If you're out ona bright sunny day and the sky is blue, try adding a polarizing filter to your setup. Turn the indicator on your polarizer in the direction of the sun and watch as the sky darkens down: this willimprove contrast between the flowers, and the sky above. LENS HOOD ‘Alens hood wil reduce flare cast across your wide-angle lens. Most come with a screw-on lens hood in the box, bbut some (such as the \4-24mm 28) are builtin If you don't have a lens hood availabe, just use your hand or ‘hat to shade the front element of the lens. Hold back any extraneous leaves that pop ito frame, as 3 clearer foreground will make your composition look more deliberate, But take carenot to damage the plants, New Photographer's Yearbook 88The mission Seen photosof rapeseed crea TC ects SE re Flowery fields in bloom make wonderfully colourful landscape photos. Deen te erste tee i ue ee ere Perc cum Peet enn Ceca contrasting briliantly against bright blue skies. ote ree ry eet eet Petree rte Penn a ‘shoot handheld as our shutter speeds are fairly uick. Just make sure your shutter speed is Ser ee coe ca talc) ‘overcome potential camera shake issues: so if Puen one coun ies Oe Dee ees OO eS ay See a ery Cea ace automatically ensures the sky appears darker ‘and bluer for a more dynamic photo. To further reduce the light reaching your sensor by around pee ee er ernie ee et eta) Peer Semesters Peer Terenas PA otc e Ea) err ease Cena rete iso ls eee ny seme me ucts cee ee Re eM and the sky fils the to Sen Sea Pe energie Pa orcs‘Step back from the ledge ofthe field and zoom in with your lens tomake the fowers appear more densely packed, '82 New Photographers Yearbook FLOWERY FIELDS FOREVER Key camera settings, lens setup and using fits to capture the best results GET ORF MY LAND! Before statingsheotng please berespecfl of farmers anther and Shoot rom public footpaths and bridlewaysarourthe edges ofthe rapeseed fis. rather than wadingin and damaging their coo Yul inthe best compositions fram these spots atthe perimeter and tute backanyway, DEPTH OF FIELD Ne ve sel anapertureof 8 and are using focal Tenath of 60mm on ourlens When focusing a thidinto our scene towards ofthe back of therapeseed fl for us — these settings gve us enough depth ffi sothe whole scenes sharp. This midrange aperture als captures the optimum image quay LEVEL HORIZONS Enable the viewfinder grid display (abelled VF Grid Display in the menu) and you can ensure the camera is level by lining up the horizon with the grid lines in the viewfinder, Some cameras, such as the 5D Mark Il also offer an electronic levelin the viewfinder via custom functions. Or usea tripod and Live View and press info unti the level ‘appears on your rear LCD. om. DSLR & LENS Were usingour Caron EOSSD Mark and Canon EF 24305mn #4 IS USM standard zoom ens frou phates, ut ‘ay DSLR and tens wil wrk for these spl scenic phos. We're shootnginAvmade, sowe el the aperture ardour carerasetsthe shutter speed fora good exposure POLARIZING POWER Were also using apolariang iter ~ these ae great for darkerangthe blue shies andboostng contrast fran even ‘more dramatic shot. The efetis most penouneed when you shoot at right angles tothe sun (so the sun flsonyour shoulder) twist the outer imf their toenhancethe polariing oft.SPRING DSLR TECHNIQUES CREATIVE COMPOSITIONS Don't overcomplicate your composition! Follow these steps for lvely looking leaves GO VERTICAL Ratherthenin the classic ‘andscape in landscape formatasotry shooting vertically fora more creative compostion. Youllneed to consider ‘which section of your seene youfocus on, and how yourpostion clouds inthesky tofttne vertical shape frame. Experiment and you wil berenarded, AVOID CENTRAL HORIZONS Thinkabout where to position the hvizon for more creative shots. Rater than simply putting the harzon in the centre ofthe rameas here for our main image, onthe Previous page, we veused the ue of thirds to poston the horizon Theimprovements instant. SHOOT THROUGH FOLIAGE Lookfor overhanging branches and leaves for raming and fora diferent point of view. Ary folage thatsin shadow wil appear darker compared to thebigter scene ~ use this to your advantage othe ee sdrammtoa pretirseene we can see beyond |GET IN CLOSE Gating hose to the edgeo! the lowers sheating with wide angefocal ength (24mm inour example) captures feet perspective withthe horizon furterinthedistanoe We nerelucky wehad blue skies wth white coud toaddalitle ctr interest. DUTCH TILT Gow nd tityour camera llowirg the edge ofthe seed els. Thistechrique breaks al he normals but ceanworkut welfr shots that feature dstnctive ines and hin this. Sealy clouds inskes can ad to thoeflect. = fils. Timeitrghtand GO VERTICAL, GET ARTISTIC & GO BLURRY THE FIELDS THE SUN Asclouds blockthe sunthiscanleave strong ines across the yucan take awening tots sky? shot this! Embrace one-third flowers, ty the changing weather the reverse. This works andmakethe most of wel the shy ist that itor cool rests insping onthe dy. Irctude more flower Feds thanslyinthe shot soinsteadot filing your frame with THE Sozrishats don't alayshavetobe shot ona wide ns atnarran aperturestorfent-o- backsharpess We shothisat 28 ona 100mm atrolens biuringthe foreground andbackgroundncely "New Photographer's Yearbook 83The mission To capture sprit of flo Time SPRING INTO ACTION Follow our top tips to capture beautiful ithwinter ‘ull rmant and dull: looking landscapes, ing about spring Jas and improving your flower shot to venture much further than find potential subjects, ‘publi gardens and even patches side of aroad willoffer plenty photograpt You won't hay wn back garden| Otherwise park of grass on the ual delights io specialist gear is required for flower photography, but using a tripod willhelp en pring flower shots aremains perfectly stil. standard 2: than adeque best composit Formore creative p a bonus for compress uM greater impact on depth of fel. It you're interested in close-up photography then yous! ‘macro lens to enable you to fo fillthe frame with your subject Inthis pea sibilities ate pturing spring 2.25 to take you ‘loGET SET UP FOR FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY 4 WATCH THE WEATHER Clouless be shies areal fr loner photography: drect ight canbe taoharshesutngin ‘ao much contrast, wth aan highghts andlitle shadow deta An overcast day wl produce much mre even and soft ight. ih far mare fatterng CONTROL THE APERTURE Shootin AY (Aperture Priority) mode for cotrolover depth ofl, Wide apertures produce shalow depth of fiektobur the backgroundand make subjects standout ‘Shoot wth foo arow an aperture and the subject wl bendint ts sureurcngs. KEEP YOUR COMPOSURE Shooting at ow angles makes ooking through the viewinder aularard, Enable Live View to compose ‘and acu your shot, Zoomin to xor 1x ‘magnification ard twist the manual focusing on your lens untiyour subject comes into sharp fous. Usea teephot lens to throw flowers nbeth he oregrourdand perspective whichillmakelarge shooting inlotheligh during the backgroundoutoffecustoislte patches offlmers appear much golden houstobackight your subject, Coser together. your subject. Usealengocallerethtocorpress REFLECT THE LIGHT reflector has mull uses ust user panel toshade ou subjctte soften ight when the sunisout postiontat an angleto bounce ight backint the shai to reveal nore deta or snlyuseitas a wind break on brezy days, You'get the most amie resus by SECURE YOUR DSLR tripe nat only avis potential camer-shako isuesitores youth think ceary about your compestion Get downlow soyou'eleve wth your subject: youTlneeda study tripod with lags tat can ‘play cto youcan shoot closet the ground COMPENSATE THE LIGHT enshoting sroncopsyour cameramay ‘overoorpensatefer the bgt ones resulting incl, sey lowes Increase expsure compensation o brighten them up, bt be careful nt to bow highs and precious detalin the delicate peta, Hyeutiavea mecrolen.getin teal close tithe whole ame ith salar subjoct that's flof deta and Du ot the background. New Photographer's Yeorbook 85peg acco eer ue ene g ay marvellous macro. shots of plants and WOE idiPs Bae Ce Sa Peete in re ee eter) i ea ert ee aati Pct eae ee tect es erm eseeoeenny Lseries lenses, three years ago. While costing ‘small fortune, after seeing the images his kit eee eee ‘everything from architecture, animals, to Pee een ee iad ese ete ——— yeaa ama 4 ms Ceca Peter corny ae err roe THE PRO CLIVE NICHOL Cg CANON EOS 5DS R photographer and a reguiar contributor to a us ee peed ee reese ety ete erent oa ernie eertcenatay ee Life, The English Garden, Gardens lustrated Cee ee ot Leu i een i sce iTECHNIQUE ASSESSMENT RAW power “Amiays shootin Raw.” says Clive, ait’ thebest image quaity and youcan easly adjust exposure, contrast and colours post-shootin Adobe CameraRaw aswellasadjusting settings lke white balanceeasiy” Steve adds, often shoot inthe M-Raw sizeimagesas they're big enough {or my needs, save onspace on memory cards andmy Mac, andstilofer the same abiity toedt asatullsizeRawfle” _— AV mode _ Clive got Steve to shootin Av (Aperture value) a y E ‘made to set the aperture, and so his camera will Bn adjust the shutter speed fora standard exposure. “This way, you can control the depth rT of field, Set a wide aperture (such as f4) for ata shallow depth of field: everything will be blurred Tr behind your plant. Set a narrow aperture (such 2s £22) fora large depth of field; the entire flower head will now be sharp from the front to back.” says Civ. if Steve needed to brighten or darken his images, Clive told him to use his, Canon camera's Exposure Compensation, “Ashe's using AV ‘mode, the aperture wl stay fixed \while you dal in positive or negative ‘exposure compensation. | suggested he start off with +/-I-stop and to review his results “outside, ‘88 New Photographer's YearbookSPRING Made>Greysal then might ake af tests anctweaks to thelayout options stready nblack and white end themselves ellothe Image> Adjustments (aritCmd/Otrv}.ou_Usestandardrather than any pato paper anit technique. Avid complexphotcsandtose that rely might wanttoboos the contrast othe negative litle eprint your rages blckand white onic ftoral details. before you proceed HEAD OUTSIDE SOAK UP THE SUNSHINE You only household iter get started on this project Sunprint ae Setup what you'll need This low-cost project only requires afew simple bits and bobs. As we mentioned above, youll need a cgital photo to transfer and a printer for the negative. Once this stage is complete, grab a bowlor tray filed with water, some sticky tape, your Sunprint paper and a piece of glass or Perspex (the bigger Sunprint kits come with this included), You'll probably find the hardest thing to come by isa sunny day! When the clouds do part, grab your Sunprint paper and follow the easy exposing method over the page. 188 New Photographer's YearbookSUMMER STEP BY STEP EXPOSE THE PAPER GATHER SUPPLIES. Filupa developer container wth water and set ittoone side Gra some Sungent paper roughly ‘matchings sze with your negative your itoesrit rama cheap photo frame, >REPARE THE PHOTO Pace your negation top ofthe Suroint paper (ble side up). Lineup the las, negative, Sunpint paper, and piece of careboar. thenuzea en ts! ape to secure together ae stop it sling around, TT THE WATER then there's clear eprint of your image onthe Paper cnc your Supt. Tke tof the back ofthe glass and plceitint the wate tray Il change from anegative twapostvebetore your ees. USE OBJECTS Why not try placing flat objects, such as feathers and leaves, directly onto the Sunprint paper? Flatten ‘your favourite objects between the paper and the acrylic or glass sheet, then follow the same exposing and developing method. Theexposure time needed will be much shorter, as the sunlight won't have to penetrate ‘any paper. IN THE SHADE The blue chemicals bedded in Sung pape are ‘save to ula violet ght It'simpocant to setup your prints rsidecr out of rect sunlight, therwisethe papers ely to startexposig too quik, SUNBATHE YOUR PRINT Let the print bask fo about 20 minutes. arches the exposure the paper by ting comer back fam the frame When the ege are wht it's fuly exposed. On acludy day it might needan extra ve mites. SEE THE MAGIC Take your print out ofthe water aftr a fewrinutesancet tery naturally. Thacelours wl deepenas the paper dees. ‘rtoucting the surface ofthe paper and iealy. pg up helt lat somehere. Vola! "New Photographers Yearbook 158AUTUMN Capture the warm hues of autumn ema ne. reeAU UIMINAL PHOTO SKILLS With the help of talented professional photographers, Teen meke UC E EOE Ceca Pee eed ‘most captivating as animals prepare for Pret ne ee ee ete to ageters ty Perera Sr ttc Sere So, over the following pages, along with teeta some ofthe best pro photographs, were yellow; cool nights and warm morning sun _providing you with essential camera and, one are Cue ce Seat Perec rate ts ee tire ee PeedAUTUMN Se a)SCENES Make the most of the autumn light for exquisite cenic photographs ‘The Golden Hours directly after sunrise or ust before sunset, and isafavourte ime for photographers aslightis blessed witha wonderful ft, warm qualty asitsfitered by particlesinthe atmosphere, The reat thing about autumnis that sunrise seat an ungedly hour, particularly when the clocks go back atthe endof October -gettingout ofbedisnt as much ofa chore asit is insummer. Thesunstayslowerin the sky forlonger too, meaning the ‘hour lastsalite longer. This makes itideal for capturing creative scenes autumn woods when shooting into the dffusedlght fitering followed by warm days, and this temperature change provides t atmmospheri 2a youilineed tobe atan elevated position; shooting intoa vale, with treesor castle ruins poking out of themist works well Youlneeda tripods youll be shootingat low telephoto, compresses perspective and emphasizes the layeredeffect of mist. Thebright mists likely to foolyourn mito Underexpo: r ngramiand apply around +1 stop henit'srequired ‘Autumnis perhaps the mos thit's mesty mornings, fiery sunsets anda spread of red and ‘orange foliage. On sunny daysthe Peet unpetitad ee | experimentwth underexposingto AAA arodblonnhighighisandioadd (ei moodandvbranc hotogronhers Yearbookrere 7 Pt : Ceo ee ean Seon Peer Preeti Be TREES & WOODLAND From stunning silhouettes and sunset to tree-lined par —autumnis great forit all A Seirancesinoutes sat Uren parksinauturmaso ‘ashardasyoumightthink. You Scrpts>Load fies into stackthan ciekon Md! ipegandSkulipeg. Click OK and your pictures wilopen intoa singe docuent the Add ctor Mack Then epeatforthe ‘model ye. landtool(W)andclick dr nthe blaksection, then clk btlon then Cmd/Ctlsl to itand evel the sal fostop light from bouncing off the backdrop and showing, pin the final image, place a flag Invbetween the flash and the backdrop. We ‘made ours witha few strips of gaffer tape, which we stuc the side ofthe fa CORDON OFF THE BACKDROP Net wo pulled black curtain behind our subject block any stay ight fom bouncing of ajacentwalsand string them The black background made france ean backop, which meantit woud be easier lenin our freimageslater coninthe process. USE BACKLIGHTING wanted te shullfoleck helt was haveringabove cur subject’ shand,sowe tok two separate shots One ofthe model gesturing tard the carer, and not sutject hel te shu upin frontal the curtain taking ean out the tame, Net navigate to your Rede thelaer opacity Lens Correcton. 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TO IMPROVE YOUR SHO’ «= Yeullestamarecovausteehetectiyisirgslens witha wideaperire = Consder nal ight souesarbeindtho pre andarle thecamerainanyhatepuesapleasngbockdop «= Aste pri tor tohepthechandsi statue rrotonti, ‘Toptip:Totry light panting wth at sparkler st the exposure toatleast 1/2 secondand vaveit about INFRARED LANDSCAPE ‘TO IMPROVE YOUR SHOT. = Useaninfrediersuchasthepepulr Hoa F7Ztocapre theetex «= Useyourcaner Lhe View fetretohlpyoucerpase ors « Usethecamerahistpraivensreyounavescoect ‘exposuoferyoursot Top tip Greens inthe scene are particularly ood for the Rffack: hey tke on the ook of snow ichis why trees and folageare popular IR subjects "New Photographers Yearbook 185