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4 Q Digital Photo | dpmag.com

F E AT U RE S / / / M A RC H /A P RI L 2 0 14 / / / V O L . 1 8 N O . 2

/// HOW-TO ///

28 Shot In The DarkIt has never been easier to create

stunning astral photosTEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM BOL

The Positives34 Of Negative SpaceConsider the space surroundingyour subject for more dynamiccompositionsTEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY

J. DENNIS THOMAS

Workflow, Start To40 Finish, Part 3Use these tips for worry-free backupTEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM BOL

Art of iPhoneography: :43 Layers Of EmotionBlending scenes from thepast to portray a feeling inthe presentTEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY

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M A R C H / A P RI L 2 0 1 4

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44 Retro RevolutionClassic camera styling ismaking a comebackBY J. DENNIS THOMAS

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10 Ed-Mail 12 View

16 Next 66 ExitDigital Photo (ISSN: 1948-5557)—Vol. 18 No. 2 —is published bimonthly except November and December by Werner Publishing Corp. Executive, editorial andadvertising offices:12121 Wilshire Blvd., Suite1200,Los Angeles,CA 90025-1176, (310)820-1500. Periodicals PostagePaid atLos Angeles,Calif.,and atadditionalmailing offices. Single-copy price—$4.99. Annual subscription in U.S., Possessions, APO/FPO—$19.94. Canada/foreign—$34.94, including postage and taxes.Payable in U.S. funds. For orders, address changes and all other customer service, phone toll-free (800) 537-4619. POSTMASTER: Send address changes toDigital Photo , Box 37857, Boone, IA 50037-0857. Canada Post Publications mail class agreement No. 1559753. See magazine mast for specific information onsolicited and unsolicited contributions and the purchase of back issues.

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EDITORIALWes PittsEditorMaggie DevcichSenior EditorDavid WillisAssociate EditorAshley Myers-TurnerAssistant EditorJ. Ana FloresCopy EditorMike StensvoldSenior Contributing EditorBruce Dale, Michael Guncheon, Mark Edward HarrisJeffrey Nielsen, Rick Sammon, William Sawalich,John Shaw, Rob Sheppard, Shutter Sisters, Jon SienkiewiczContributing EditorsARTAndré D. HarrellArt DirectorEric BeckettAssistant Art DirectorWWW.DPMAG.COM

Wes PittsOnline DirectorMike DeckerWebArt DirectorDamian GreeneWeb DeveloperLisette RoseWeb Production Associate

IMAGING GROUPSteven D. WernerPublisherChristopher RobinsonImaging Group Editorial DirectorKurt R. SmithExecutive Art DirectorEDITORIAL OFFICESWerner Publishing Corporation, 12121 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite 1200, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1176(310) 820-1500

Printed in the U.S.A.Digital Photo is published by Werner Publishing Corp. Executive, editorial and advertisingoffices: 12121 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1200, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1176, (310) 820-1500. Email us (editorial matters only) at [email protected] and visit our website at www.dpmag.com. Copyright © 2014 by Werner Publishing Corp. No material may be reproduced withoutwritten permission. This publication is purchased with the understanding that informationpresented is from many sources for which there can be no warranty or responsibility by thepublisher as to accuracy, originality or completeness. It is sold with the understanding thatthe publisher is not engaged in rendering product endorsements or providing instruction asa substitute for appropriate training by qualified sources. EDITORIAL SUBMISSION: DigitaPhoto assumes no responsibility for solicited or unsolicited contributions and materials.Submissions for review should be limited to no more than 40 photos. Submit duplicates forour review. Otherwise, insurance for such materials, in transit or in our possession, must bethe responsibility of the writer or photographer. Digital Photo does not accept or agree tothe conditions and stipulations printed on delivery memos, packing slips and related corre-spondence as they are presented without prior notice accompanying submission materials.Exceptions to this disclaimer of liability on the part of Digital Photo must be prearranged,executedin writingandsignedby bothpartiespriorto theshipmentof materialsin question.All submissions must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) withsufficient postage to cover the cost of return. The class of mail and insurance coverage forreturns will be determined by the amount provided for on the SASE. Writer/photographerguidelines are available on request, with the enclosure of an SASE. SUBSCRIBERS: Anyobligation we owe to you, including delivery of your magazine, is contingent upon you pro-viding us with your correct mailing address. If the Post Office notifies us that your magazineis undeliverable, we have no further obligation to you unless we receive a corrected addressfrom you within two years of the Post Office notification. BACK ISSUES are available for onyear prior to the current issue. To order wit hin the U.S., send $7.00 plus $4.00 postage andhandling (Canada: $7.00 plus $5.00; International: $7.00 plus $10.00) for each issue toBack Issue Dept., Digital Photo Magazine, 12121 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1200, Los Angeles, CA90025-1176, or go online and visit the eStore. No orders processed without proper fundsand specific issue information.

Digital Photo, PCPhoto and Digital Camera & Photo are registered trademarks of Werner Publishing Corporation. Copyright © 2014 Werner Publishing Corporation. All rightsreserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

To Subscribe Or For Subscription Questions:

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dpmag.comADVERTISINGLos Angeles(310) 820-1500, Fax (310) 826-5008Debra I. LevineAssociate PublisherScott LukshEastern Advertising Sales ManagerDenine GentilellaSenior Advertising Sales ManagerMark HarrisSenior Advertising Sales ManagerClaudia WarrenSenior Advertising CoordinatorSiobhan ValentineAdvertising Coordinator

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eration no matter the time of day or subject. Negative space not only gives your subject context, but it can createshapes and patterns of its own. In “ThePositives Of Negative Space,” J. Dennis Thomas explores the ways photogra-phers can use negative space creatively.

On the technology front, we look at the future of high-denition video. This year at CES, 4K made its consumer de-but, with relatively affordable displaysbeing introduced alongside the rst sub-$2,000 4K consumer video camerafrom Sony. How quickly will 4K catchon broadly with consumers? It’s hardto say, with prices still out of reach of many potential buyers, but if you’recontemplating video equipment pur-chases, it’s good to consider what’s next.

One of my favorite parts of thejob as the editor of this maga-zine is my involvement with

our photo contests. I love reviewing thesubmissions—being exposed to thou-

sands of unique images, many of themquite stunning. It’s difcult, though, toselect only a handful of nalists andeven more challenging to choose a winner among those. There are oftenimages that resonate for me person-ally that, for a variety of reasons, don’t make the cut.

In this issue, we feature the win-ners of our 7th Annual Your Best Shot Photo Contest. Congratulations tothose winners, who were selected frommore than 3,000 entries. I encourage you to check out the Finalists gallery at www.dpmag.com/photo-contests/7th-annual-your-best-shot/nalists to seesome really beautiful images.

We’re often asked why internationalcontestants aren’t eligible to win. Un-fortunately, the complexities of interna-tional law, particularly when a prize isinvolved, make it impractical for us toaward prizes internationally. However,don’t let that dissuade you from partici-pating in our contests. The image on thisissue’s cover is a case in point: Thoughthe Ireland-based photographer wasineligible to win the contest, there’s norestriction on negotiating editorial use.In fact, we often nd new talent in our contests and galleries.

Also in this issue are many excel-lent how-to articles to get you think-ing about your own contest-winning photos. The winner of our DestinationsPhoto Contest was featured on our December 2013 cover, a striking photo-graph taken under Delicate Arch with abrilliant night sky in the background.Night photography has its own uniquechallenges, and Tom Bol offers a com-plete primer to get you on your way tocreating nighttime magic in “Shot In The Dark.”

Night photography is a genre wherepaying attention to negative space—theareas of a frame not lled by the sub-

ject—is particularly important. Actually,negative space is an important consid-

Edmail

We also consider a recent trendin camera design toward classic styl-ing. Nikon’s new Dƒ is the rst DSLR and latest in a series of cameras fromOlympus, Fujilm and others to sport a vintage makeover. What’s behind thetrend? We examine the historical inu-ence of rangenders on modern cameradesign in “Retro Revolution.”

Lastly, be sure to read our guideto on-location photography, “Pop-UpStudio.” Whether you’re preparing for a shoot outdoors or at a client’s ofce, we talked to several pro photographers who routinely work outside of their studios to cover everything you’ll needto get perfect shots anywhere. Mix andmatch our selected gear to solve just about any photographic problem.

—Wes Pitts, Editor

A finalist in our 7th Annual Your BestShot Photo Contest, “Megan” by pho-tographer Vladimir Morozov was takenin Morozov’s studio in Wexford, Ireland.The model, Megan O’Malley, “is a modellike no other,” says Morozov. “She has avery unique combination of fiery red hairand porcelain white skin, lovely blue-steeleyes—and loads of hair.”

To create the lighting, O’Malley wasin a horizontal position atop a whitestudio background, her hair carefully

arranged, with two octaboxes used forthe main light and fill.

Of the composition, Morozov recalls,“I thought it would be nice to change thecomposition to off-center because shehas such unique and strong facial fea-tures contrasting with her red hair. Quint-essential Irish! She’s my inspiration, andI’ve had some lovely projects with her.”

You can find Vladimir Morozovon Facebook at facebook.com/wedding photographywexford .

ON THE COVER

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Shoot the next Hollywood blockbuster with theworld’s most amazing digital cinema camera!Film Industry Quality

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MICHAEL SHAEFER

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FIRST PLACECongratulations to MICHAELSHAEFER of Atlanta, Georgia,for taking the winning photo-graph in our 7th Annual Your BestShot Photo Contest. Captured onthe great plains of the southernSerengeti in Tanzania, two bullelephants battle for supremacy.“The light for this remarkableand dramatic scene was superb,”recalls Shaefer. “The dark bluestorm clouds made for a perfectbackground. I wanted to cap-ture these huge animals in theirenvironment just as they madecontact. The arena in which thisdrama was taking place was justas important as the subjects.”

Nikon D600,Nikkor 70-200mm ƒ/4

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dpmag.com | March/April 2014 Q 13

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View


SECOND PLACE“Dreams are a curious thing,” explains

Providence, Rhode Island, photographerNICHOLAI GO . “They’re ephemeral andseem to be without rules, where laws ofphysics don’t exist. However, I’ve noticed oneconstant: Time. Dreams are still bound bytime, which connects both realities. We havea finite amount of time, no matter the reality.”

NICHOLAI GO

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Check out all of the finalists in the 7th Annual Your Best Shot Photo Contest at

dpmag.com/photo-contests/7th-annual-your-best-shot/finalists .

THIRD PLACE“This is one of my favorite shots taken during our yearly

family vacation,” notes photographer DENNIS RAMOS ofSeffner, Florida. “While stopped in downtown Atlanta for thenight, we were walking on a crowded intersection when I noticed,looking upat the sky, these toweringbuildingsabove me. Theviewreminded me of the Batman movie trailer for The Dark Knight ,where the negative space of the cityscape creates the ‘bat.’”

Nikon D300S, Tokina 12-24mm ƒ/4

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DENNIS RAMOS

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SPORTS-ACTION CAMSPolaroid introduces three new mountable, high de nition sports action cameras,all with shockproof, waterproof technology and ultrawide angle lenses.TheXS100i providesWi Fi with iOS and Android apps, a distortion free lens with 170°of coverage, and can do 1080p,960p and 720p video, plus 16 MP still images.The XS1000i features a unique, patented, quick change mounting system,a16 MP Aptina CMOS sensor and a 170° angle of view.It can do 1080p and960p video at 30 fps and 720p at 60 fps, as well as still images.The Polaroid Cfeatures a square design,5 MP CMOS sensor and 120° angle of view, and can do720p and 640x480 video, as well as 5 MP still images. List Price: $179 (XS100i);

TBA (XS1000i,Polaroid C).Contact: Polaroid, www.polaroid.com.

NEW SIGMA GLOBAL VISION LENSESSigma has introduced two new lenses in their GlobalVision lineup: the 18-200mm ƒ/3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSMContemporary and the 50mm ƒ/1.4 DG HSM Art.The 18 200mm is smaller and lighter than itspredecessor and improves macro capabilities (focusingdown to 15.4 inches for a 1:3 reproduction ratio), withupdated optics for corrected chromatic aberration andminimized distortion.The new 50mm ƒ/1.4 DG HSM isa pro level performer for full frame DSLRs,updatedwith SLD glass and improved large aperture performance.An optimized autofocus algorithm and a oatingfocusing system improve AF. Both lenses provide quiethigh speed AF thanks to Sigma’s Hyper Sonic Motor(HSM),and are compatible with Sigma’s USB Dock andMount Conversion Service.List Price:TBA.Contact:

Sigma, www.sigmaphoto.com.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 12Using the technology ofAdobe Photoshop,Adobe Photoshop Elements 12offers both organizational and editing tools.The Organizer providesa hub to catalog photo and video assets by location, person (with facerecognition), event and personalized tags.With Elements Mobile Albums andAdobe Revel integration, it’s easy to view and edit your images while movingbetween your desktop, tablet and smartphone. Elements 12 continues to offerthree levels of editing. Quick Mode includes new effects, textures and frames.Guided Mode offers tutorials for more advanced edits, such as Restore OldPhoto editing. Expert adjustments include a new Pet Eye tool and Straighteningwith auto ll edges. A new Collaboration Mode offers the ability to invite a

group or team to collect and share photos from an event in one convenientplace. List Price: $99 (Full License/Elements 12); Free (50 uploads/month);$4.99 (per month for unlimited space/Adobe RevelApp).Contact:Adobe, www.adobe.com.

BARE-BULB PRO-FLASHThe Strobies Pro-Flash One Eighty provides versatilelighting options at a budget friendly price. Used on or offcamera, jut like a traditional speedlight, the 180Ws bare bulb

ash spreads smooth and even light across your frame.ThePro Flash One Eighty is powered by an external 11.1V/4500mAh lithium ion battery pack that provides 700 ashes witha 2.2 sec. recycle time for shutter speeds as quick as 1 ⁄ 8000 sec.The One Eighty can also be used with a variety of modi ersto vary the lighting look. List Price: $594 (Strobies Pro FlashOne Eighty and Battery Pack); $405 (Strobies Pro Flash OneEighty Flash Head); $209 (Strobies Pro Flash Battery Pack,compatible with Canon, Nikon, Sony and Metz speedlights).Contact: Inter t, www.inter tphotographic.com.

PRO SLING STRAPWhen you’re constantly on the move,it’s importantto have a camera strap that keeps your camera safeand secure.JOBY has created the Pro Sling Strap ,using an adjustable length Speed Cinch pulleysystem to harness your camera to your body whileit’s not in use,then quickly deploys it so you don’tmiss a shot.You can use Fast Cinch mode for a quickrelease when you know time is of the essence,orLocked mode, to prevent tangles and scuffs whilehiking,biking or maneuvering crowded spaces. JOBYhas placed as much attention to their materials as

they did to their product design by creating acustom textile for the strap

providing for exibility anddurability. List Price:$69.Contact: JOBY,www.joby.com.

COMPACT CONTINUOUS LIGHTIf you’re taking advantage of HD video capabilities on Nikon 1 and COOLPIX cameras,the compact, even, continuous light performance of the LD-1000 LED Movie Lightaccessory may peak your interest.With a built in diffusion panel, the light providesconsistent soft lighting, designed for supplementary video lighting while also beingsuitable for still photos.A removable bracket attaches the light to the camera for easyoperation while allowing for removal for handheld control of lighting direction andheight. List Price: $99.Contact: Nikon, www.nikonusa.com.

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2013

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GEAR

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FLEXFLASH MONOLIGHTS

Ideal for indoor use with versatility to light largegroup portraits down to studio productphotography, the FlexFlash monolights, in

both 200Ws and 400Ws options, are nowbeing offered by Photo ex . With anoversized LCD screen, these monolightssync with speedlights using a pre ashdetection system and contain an autocooling system.With auto voltage

protection for worldwide use, ContinuousMode allows for output control independent

of the ash for continuous light, and AutoPower Save kicks in after 20 minutes of inactivity.

The FlexFlash features the universal S type bayonetmount for all sizes of softboxes. Estimated StreetPrice: $319 (FlexFlash 200Ws); $389 (FlexFlash400Ws).Contact: Photo ex, www.photo ex.com.

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PRIME LENS LINEThe HD Pentax DA Limited prime lens series by Ricoh Imaging consists of ve lensesdesigned for K mount DSLRs. Each lens features Super Protect and high de nition coating for sharpimages with reduced ghosting and are.A round shaped diaphragm has been designed to producea natural bokeh effect. Created from high grade aluminum, each lens is hand machined to ensureproportion and feel. Lenses are available in both black and silver. Estimated Street Price: $549(HD Pentax DA 15mm ƒ/4 EDAL Limited); $699 (HD Pentax DA 21mm ƒ/3.2AL Limited); $699(HD Pentax DA 35mm ƒ/2.8 Macro Limited); $749 (HD Pentax DA 40mm ƒ/2.8 Limited);$749 (HD Pentax DA 70mm ƒ/2.4 Limited).Contact: Ricoh Imaging, www.us.ricoh imaging.com.

Lapse It is a full featured app for making time lapseand stop motion videos with your mobile device.There are no restrictions as to capture length ornumber of frames.You can insert soundtracks,adjust the frame rate, apply effects lters, and adjustfocus, white balance and exposure. Projects can berendered to MP4 and MOV, and uploaded directlyto your social networks.The Pro version lets youmake videos in resolutions from 240p to 1080p, thefree version, only a lower resolution. Lapse It isavailable native for iOS and Android. List Price:$1.99 (Pro version); Free (basic version).Contact:Lapse It, www.lapseit.com.

PicPlayPost is an all in one app that lets you createmultimedia collages from your smartphonecombining still photos, video and audio tracks into asingle frame.With video, you can add effects to videosand still images, play videos in sequence orsimultaneously, choose from 36 fully adjustableframes, and rotate images and video inside frames,among other personalizations.The new iOS 7 versionlets you add up to six videos per project (four in iOS 6and earlier). Once you’ve nished your collage, shareyour project on social networking sites (Instagram,Facebook, YouTube,Tumblr, etc.). List Price: $1.99.

Contact: Flambe Studios, www. ambestudios.com.Bringing the classic analog ipbook into the digitalworld,Flipagram creates short videos from yourdigital images.This is a great platform for telling ashort story using a small series of photos or recappingan entire event with “best of” images. Once you’veidenti ed the photos, music and desired length of yourvideo on your smart device, Flipagram will autoformata microvideo for you to share on Facebook, Instagram,YouTube and other social media platforms. List Price:Free.Contact: Cheerful, Inc., www. ipagram.com.

TURNSTYLE 10The ThinkTank PhotoTurnStyle 10 SlingCamera Bag provides a lightweight,versatile andconvenient way to carry your DSLR or mirrorlesscamera and equipment.Designed in a bodyconforming shape using lightweight poly ballisticwater resistant fabric,the TurnStyle 10 can be wornas a shoulder sling or belt pack, shifting forcomfort, gear and location conditions.Thecustomizable interior holds a standard DSLR,oneto three lenses and a small tablet.A front organizerpocket stores batteries,memory cards, lters andother small accessories with easy to accessplacement.The breathable air mesh back panelprovides cooling air ow for all day wearability.Theshoulder strap is wide with a quick release buckle;the bag comes with a seam sealed rain cover.List Price: $84.Contact: ThinkTank Photo,www.thinktankphoto.com.

HDR DARKROOM 3Everimaging has improved their HDR software with the newest version of HDR Darkroom3.While the software offers additional HDR styles, the real upgrade is in processing power. Animproved alignment algorithm consistently corrects any alignment issues that arise betweenbracketed frames without you needing to intervene. Advanced ghost reduction technology alsoremoves objects when they differ between frames. HDR Darkroom 3 supports over 150 cameras,including Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Panasonic models, and is available for both Mac andWindows. List Price: $129.Contact: Everimaging, www.everimaging.com.

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thefifth

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P H O T O C O N T E S T

SUBMIT YOUR BEST PORTRAITS FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A PRIZE PACKAGE AND

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Visit dpmag.com/contests to get started.

Photo by Gary Ehinger2013 Perfect Portraits Photo Contest Winner

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O LY M P U S O M - D E - M 1 0 T H E S M A L L C A M E R A T H A T C A N G E T T H E B I G P I C T U R E

Olympus launched a revolution with the OM-D E-M5 and OM-D E-M1 inter-

changeable-lens cameras. Now, the new ultra-slim, compact OM-D E-M10 is

poised to continue that legacy. A high-resolution 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor,

TruePic VII image processor and M.ZUIKO lens compatibility combine to give you

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High-Resolution 16-Megapixel Live MOS Image Sensor At the heart of the new OM-D E-M10 is a 16-megapixel Micro Four Thirds

Live MOS sensor. The high-resolution image sensor is the same as the one

Olympus uses in the OM-D E-M5 camera. With a maximum ISO of 25,600, the

OM-D E-M10 will give you excellent detail and color reproduction with smooth

tonal gradations in dimly lit situations, and in bright conditions, you can select

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TruePic™ VII Image Processor The high-resolution image sensor works with the camera’s TruePic VII image

processor—which is inherited from the agship Olympus OM-D E-M1—togenerate highly detailed, rich-looking photographs. The image processor has

Olympus’ Fine Detail Processing II technology, which maximizes lens perfor-

mance by optimizing optical properties of the attached lens. The image proces-

sor works with the lens to enhance its strengths.

Two New M.ZUIKO Lenses The super-slim M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 EZ pancake zoom lens

measures just .9 inches thick. It has a smooth electric zoom that’s suitable for

shooting movies, and can also be zoomed in and out remotely using compat-

ible smartphones through the updated Olympus Image Share app. The high-

performance M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 25mm f1.8 lens has a xed focal length and is

ideal for capturing portraits or close-ups from as little as 9.8 inches away.

In-Body ImageStabilizationSome cameras rely on in-

lens stabilization. The Olympus

OM-D E-M10 has an advanced VCM in-body image stabili-

zation system derived from

the agship OM-D E-M1

camera. With the Olympus

OM-D E-M10, every photo

has stabilization regardless

of the lens used. The three-

axis VCM stabilization sys-

tem gives you approximately

3.5 stops of advantage over

non-stabilized shooting. The

system even can correct for

optical rotational blur that in-lens stabilization can’t handle.

In IS-Auto mode, the OM-D E-M10 automatically applies stabilization in chal-

lenging panning shots. Also, the M-IS mode uses the VCM stabilization system

in movie mode.

Fast AF Performance The OM-D E-M10 has an 81-point FAST AF system and 8 fps maximum shoot-

ing speed that rivals the performance of the OM-D E-M1. The FAST AF system

has improved Group Target AF, which makes use of the 81-point system to track

fast-moving, unpredictable subjects. Working in conjunction with the on-board

electronics, the OM-D E-M10 has the shortest shooting lag time in its class—

approximately 44 milliseconds! This rivals many DSLRs with mechanical shutters.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E AT U R E

“The rst time I picked up an OM-D and shot with it, I knew I was holdingthe future of photography.” —Olympus Trailblazer Jamie MacDonald

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Move into a New World

One of the smallest and lightest bodies in its class at 12.3 ounces*,

with a premium metal build

FAST autofocus with 81 selectable points

High speed, 8fps sequential shooting (S-AF)

Built-in Wi-Fi for le sharing and remote shooting

Full system of versatile interchangeable lenses

*E-M10 body only

The revolutionary OM-D family offers something for everyone.

www.getolympus.com/em10

M E E T T H E N E W E S T M E M B E R O F O U R

A W A R D - W I N N I N G F A M I L

T H E O M - D E - M 1 0 .

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together photos for an exhibit or a dis-play is to make miniature prints withsimulated mattes and frames. I know I

can juggle the same images on my com-puter screen, but I nd I get a better idea

tograph. If I want to be precise, I usePhotoshop’s Vanishing Point lter. It superimposes an accurate grid to your wall that your image snaps onto andrenders a perfect perspective. With themore advanced versions of Photoshop, you can even measure the nal imageon the wall using the Ruler option.

I then make it more realistic by adding a drop shadow to each hang-ing photograph. Hint: If you’re adding drop shadows to an image added viathe Vanishing Point lter, be sure tostart by adding a new layer so the dropshadow effect will be active. If you want, you can even add a spotlight effect us-

ing Photoshop’s Lighting Effects lter. A good starting point for putting

I was recently asked to put together a collection of images to decoratethe halls of a new medical center. To help me better visualize how thepictures worked together, and at thesame time, give my client an under-standing of how they’d look, I decidedto produce a virtual gallery of the im-ages hanging on the walls. I did a walk-through of the area and made a collec-tion of on-site images with my pocket camera, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7.

Next, in Photoshop, I took a framedminiature image and layered it on topof one of the architectural scenes. For a quick and dirty method, I use the

Distort command to scale the imageto match the perspective of my pho-

Displaying Your PhotographsPREVISUALIZING WITH PHOTOSHOP AND “VIRTUAL GALLERIES” BY BRUCE DALE

Notes From The Field

HOW-TO

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scale using foam board. I can then hang the small prints on the walls to get anidea of how the nal exhibit will appear.If you have someone in the family witha dollhouse, make a couple of prints to

hang on their walls.For the very ultimate virtual gallery,

you can do what I did for a show some years ago in Tampa, Florida. I measuredthe gallery walls, including the carpet-ing, windows and glass thickness. Using a 3D program, I constructed the gal-lery including light placement, window glass thickness and reectivity. When I was nished, I was able to do a virtual walk-through and capture images with aselected lens (28mm, for example) fromeye level or whichever height I decided. Warning—this isn’t for the faint of heart or the impatient computer user. It took me weeks of learning and trial and error,but the result was incredible. You can seeit on my website (www.brucedale.com)under the Gallery tab. Note that for the web version, I sized up the images tomake them easier to view. In the actualgallery, they were hung with more gener-ous spacing. DP

Go to Image > Canvas Size, with 2 inchesfor height and width, black selected andRelative size checked.

Another hint: You can build an ac-tion to handle the above steps with oneclick of a button.

Before you print the image, just re-scale the pixel size to 240, and you’ll get a nice print of a couple of inches.

In some cases, I simulate the roomsor display space by building walls to

of relationships by seeing them in con-text with one another on paper.

After I narrow down my selectionto the ones I want to work with, I scaledown the images to a more manageablesize. For example, if my gallery print wereto be 16x20 inches, I scale it down, mat and frame it as follows using Photoshop:

1. Resize to 16x20 at 36 pixels/inch(use 36 pixels or thereabouts to makele sizes manageable).

2. Save this le with a new name, i.e.,“Arches sm framed.jpg”, so you don’t ac-cidentally overwrite the original image.

3. Add a ½-inch signature and ti-tle relief to the photo on each side at Image > Canvas Size. Be sure Relativesize is checked and white is selected fromthe Canvas Extension Color menu, thenenter 1 inch for both width and height.

4. Now, draw a small gray line to in-dicate the signature relief area by using Image > Canvas Size again, with a 0.05height and width with gray selected andRelative size checked.

5. Next, show the mat size. For a 3.5-inch mat size, go to Image > Canvas Size, with 7 inches for height and width, whitecolor selected and Relative size checked.

6. Add another ½-inch to the bottommat for balance. Go to Image > CanvasSize, with 0.5 inches for height, white se-lected and Relative size checked. To ap-ply this to the bottom of the canvas only,be sure to click on the top-center arrow

of the Anchor controls.7. Finally, add a 1-inch black frame.

For 30 years, photographer BRUCE DALE worked for National Geographic Magazine,which published more than 2,000 of his pictures. An early convert to digital photography,

Dale has become an expert on the subject and teaches throughout the country on a regu-

lar basis. See more of his work at www.brucedale.com.

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Point of Focus

Discovering MagicHOW A HAPPY ACCIDENT CAN UNLOCK NEW PHOTO TECHNIQUESBY TRACEY CLARK OF SHUTTER SISTERS

been done before—at least not by theone who, for the rst time, discovered it for themselves.

I’ve always enjoyed shooting out of focus (on purpose) for images that feelmore like dreams than reality. And it goes double for shooting light out of fo-cus, as I’m also a sucker for the beauty of bokeh. Although I had long been using this technique with my DSLR, I hadn’t quite mastered consistent results withmy iPhone. I test, try, experiment andexplore with each shot, learning the insand outs of the tiny, simple, little camera.

Through trial and error, I’ve gottenmore and more consistent with get-ting the artistic results I’m looking for.

From lens are to getting the exposure I want (with or without the help of auto-

I t’s amazing to me that after all these years immersed in the world of pho-tography, I still nd myself stumbling onto techniques—both technical andcreative—that I never knew existed. Iguess it shouldn’t surprise me, consider-ing I’m neither a school-taught photog-rapher nor an avid manual reader, andhave always subscribed to the “learn-as- you-go” way of thinking.

Especially with photography. I bring this up only because a recent accidental, yet awesome, iPhone discovery got megiddy with new photographic potentialand possibility. All that from one tiny “happy accident.” That’s the beauty of any art medium, isn’t it? By work-

ing it and working it, one can discover and create things that may have never

HOW-TO

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SHUTTER SISTERS is a collaborative photo blog (www.shuttersisters.com) and thriving community of women, passionate about photography. Photographer,author, teacher Tracey Clark (www.traceyclark.com) is the founder of Shutter Sisters and the author of Elevate the Everyday: A Photographic Guide to PicturingMotherhood (Focal Press) .

exposure) to nding apps that best matchmy creative sensibilities, I’ve gotten to

know my iPhone camera quite well. And, still, shooting out of focus on

command was hit or miss. I would fo-cus on something close by and thenhastily move the camera, framing my desired subject and shooting as quickly as possible, in hopes to beat the auto-focus that always wants to focus on thesubject for you. That is its job, after all. As for “tricking” the camera to shoot out of focus, sometimes the results were just what I was hoping for, while other timesI would just hit delete.

Then, one day, while using my herky-jerky method, I focused on something close and pressed my nger to thescreen for just a second longer than nor-mal when—to my surprise—the focuslocked! And when I pointed the cam-era toward my intended subject, it wasmagically and majestically out of focusand it stayed that way until I touched thescreen to focus again. Eureka! Discovery

made and mind blown in a single sec-ond. The world of dreamy iPhone im-ages was now open!

I realize that something as simpleand seemingly obvious as my phone’sfocus controls might not blow every-one’s mind like it did mine. (I honestly thought I might be the only iPhone user on the planet who didn’t know about it.) But that’s not really the point. Thepoint is recognizing and being opento what’s possible with every click of your shutter. As we keep exploring, ex-perimenting, expressing ourselves inour work, we continue to learn, grow and evolve as photographers. No mat-ter how long we’ve been shooting, how well we know our equipment or how many times we’ve read the manuals (or not), there’s always going to be moremagic to discover. DP

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IT HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER TO CREATE STUNNING ASTRAL PHOTOSTEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM BOL

ShotIN THE Dark

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I can’t see anything in my viewnder.”“What’s the symbol for innity fo-cus?” “How do I turn on my long-exposure noise reduction?” “What whitebalance should I use?”

A barrage of questions is hurling my way in the frozen, ink-black night.

I’m teaching a photo workshop, and we couldn’t resist going out for a light-painting session. The stars overhead areso bright, I feel like I’m in a planetari-um, not standing at 9,000 feet by a de-serted mine on Red Mountain Pass near Ouray, Colorado.

“I think my battery just died.” “My shutter won’t re; I think my camerais broken.”

The gauntlet of questions continuesin an almost comical scene: 14 photog-raphers stumbling around in the night blinding each other with their headlamps while I run through the scene ashing ared light on a deserted shack. Oh, yeah,the joy of nighttime photography!

Star photography and light painting have become popular, and with goodreason. Today’s DSLRs have excellent high-ISO noise performance and in-camera settings to help reduce long-exposure noise. In many cases, it’s not the camera that performs badly in themiddle of a frozen, dark night, but the

photographer who struggles to get theright composition and focus.

After living in Alaska for years watch-ing the winter sun set at 4 p.m., I natu-rally shot a lot at night. I’ve learned a few tricks for night shooting andfound someuseful tools to help. Let’s answer all the

questions mentioned above. Don’t put your camera away when the sun sets—grab a headlamp and your tripod andhead out for some night shooting!

BASIC SETTINGSBefore you venture out into the night,

gure out your camera settings in a nice,bright room. Shooting at night requiresa sturdy tripod, cable release and freshbatteries. Since exposures are long, thetripod and cable release (or another means of remotely triggering the shut-ter) are both critical to ensure sharp im-ages. Also, batteries drain fast with long exposures in cold weather; make sure tobring spares.

I shoot all my night images in man-ual mode, which allows me to easily adjust exposure. Automatic modes likeaperture and shutter priority often mis-calculate the exposure, attempting tolighten a scene that should be dark.

I normally shoot wide open aroundƒ/2.8 or ƒ/4. Why? Because you need

the added light from a large apertureopening, and chances are, depth of eldisn’t as critical. For my white balance, Iprefer Incandescent. This white balance will turn the night sky into a purple pin-cushion of stars and looks great for theMilky Way.

Next, I’ll turn on my camera’s long-exposure noise reduction. My shutter speeds are going to be slow, so turning on long-exposure noise reduction in-camera greatly reduces noise over a long exposure. Note that enabling this feature will double your exposure time, so if youtake a one-hour star-trail shot, your cam-era will process the shot for one hour af-ter the shutter closes.

FOCUSING This is the crux of night photography,

especially star trails without foreground.I always bring an inexpensive recharge-able ashlight with me on night shoots.Sometimes I use this for light painting,but other times I use this to shine onforeground subject matter to help mefocus in the dark.

The rst step with focusing at night is turning off your autofocus. Your cam-era autofocus won’t work, and if your shutter is linked to focus priority, your camera won’t shoot. I start by setting my focus to the innity mark (the “gure8” symbol located in the distance scaleon your lens barrel). Line it up with thefocus mark on your lens, and you’vefocused at innity. But this may not beperfect focus. Innity focus is a refer-ence, but will slightly vary on the lens. Ioften focus to innity, then back offjust atiny amount and take a shot. I’ll review my image after capture on my LCDscreen to check critical focus. If I’m off just a little, I’ll slightly adjust the focusand try again.

If this sounds tedious, just think of it this way: Once you know where theaccurate innity focus is on your lens,memorize it. The next time you shoot at night, set your focus to that mark. I’lleven attach a piece of gaffer’s tape on my lens to hold the focus in place.

A new tool that many photogra-phers like for focusing at night is the

CamRanger. This device allows you toset your focus using an iPad (or iPhone).

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exposure you can have before the stars will show movement. For example, if I’musing a 20mm lens, 500 divided by 20 is25; I can set an exposure of 25 secondsand not have star movement.

The Milky Way is one of my favoritesubjects for this technique. On a dark night with clear skies, the Milky Way will appear as a hazy white line running across the sky. If you can’t nd the Milky Way, try using a smartphone app like

Star Chart or Google Sky Map. After you’ve photographed the Milky

od. With this technique, your end goalis to freeze the stars in place and capturethe Milky Way. Start with these settings:ISO 3200, ƒ/4 at 25 seconds. This shouldlet in enough light that you’ll get somespectacular results very fast. Remember to check your focus.

If you’re using a wide-angle lens likea 20mm or wider, the stars shouldn’t show movement during this exposure.Use the “500 rule” to make sure the stars

are frozen—500 divided by the focallength of your lens equals the longest

Viewing the larger screen is nice and dra-matically helps with focus. You can tapanywhere on your iPad screen, and thecamera will focus on this point. TheCamRanger goes a lot further than just being a focus aid. It also allows you to ad-justsettings andremotely trigger your cam-era. Just imagine shooting that star-trailshot from the warm interior of your car!

SHOOTING TECHNIQUES

The quickest method for immediatestar images is using the high-ISO meth-30 Q Digital Photo | dpmag.com

HOW-TO: SHOT IN THE DARK

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ing a series of short exposures to createone star-trail shot. The advantage here is, you’re using shorter exposures with lessnoise to create the nal image, but this will require more postprocessing to get the nal shot. StarStaX software can help you stack images together. A sample ex-posure here might be ISO 3200, ƒ/4 at

25 seconds for numerous frames. Oneimportant point: Make sure your noisereduction is off or the processing time

using a wide-angle lens like a 20mm.Remember, the wider the lens, the morenight sky and star trails you can capture.Don’t worry if a plane ies through your shot or meteors fall from the sky; theseitems will add interesting streaks in the -nal shot. It’s very important to have your long-exposure noise reduction on for this

shot. Your results will look a lot less noisy using in-camera noise reduction.

Another star-trail technique is stack-

Way and stars without movement in thenight sky, how about trying star trails?Star-trail photography involves leaving your exposure open for an hour or lon-ger to capture star movement throughthe night sky. The camera settings aresimilar except your exposure needs to beset at “Bulb” and your ISO will be lower. Also, use a cable release with a locking mechanism so you can lock the shutter open for as long as you need.

To really capture star rotation, try these settings: ISO 100, ƒ/2.8 for 1 hour

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After reducing noise, your image will need some sharpening. I use twotools for sharpening. First, I apply someClarity, which makes the stars pop out of the sky. Next, I’ll use Unsharp Mask to sharpen the image. I start with thesesettings: Amount of 100, Radius of 1 and Threshold of 3. Experiment with your settings until you like the results. Sharp-ening makes star trails much more de-ned in the night sky.

The last thing I may try with astar image is applying an effect from Topaz Adjust 5. I like to use actionslike Heavy Pop Grunge and Dynamic Pop at around 50% strength. Theseactions bring vibrance and acuity to animage, and look great on night shots.

Ready to go out into the night withcamera in hand? One last bit of advice:Check the moon phase in your area.Stars look the best on a dark, moonlessnight. Have fun! DP

s s s

To see more of Tom Bol’s photography, vis-it his website at www.tombolphoto.com.

POSTPROCESSING There are a few things to consider

when processing your star images to helpthem reach full potential. First, adjust the white balance to your liking. I generally prefer to use Incandescent for my skiessince I like the deep blue color it produc-es. But what happens to the foregroundtree when you use Incandescent? It turnsa pasty blue—not good. To remedy this problem, I choose the Adjustment brush (in Photoshop or Lightroom)and brush over the tree. Then I pull the Temperature slider toward the right and warm up what I’ve brushed over. This will restore the color close to neutral.

Next up is noise reduction. The new noise-reduction tools in Lightroomand Photoshop are fantastic. Pull theLuminance and Color sliders to the right to reduce noise. For best results, enlarge your image to 100% so you can see theeffects. I also use Noiseware to reducenoise in my images. This plug-in has

preset actions that reduce noise. Try theNight Scene action for star-trail images.

might exceed the interval time you want to use between shots.

ADDING FOREGROUNDOnce you’ve mastered star-trail

shooting, you might decide to add someinteresting foreground elements. Add-ing foreground elements will make your composition more dynamic and addperspective to the image. I’ll often look for an interesting tree or rock forma-tion to use as a foreground element. I’lluse my ashlight to illuminate the fore-ground and help me focus. SometimesI’ll put a colored gel like red or blue over my ashlight to add creative colors tothe foreground subject.

I also use Litepanels LED lights for foreground illumination. These lightsare small and run on AA batteries. I canplace them in various parts of my sceneto illuminate rocks and trees while Itake the shot. This is a great technique when you’re by yourself and don’t want

to run around trying to light-paint a va-riety of elements.

HOW-TO: SHOT IN THE DARK

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T h e P t i v e s O f


While photographing this BMX competition,

most of the area was covered with advertising,

not to mention the thousands of spectators all

around. I shot from many different locations un-

til I found this spot with a simple building in the

background, creating a relatively unobtrusive

negative space.

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infringing on the actual subject matter.Negative space creates a dynamic ten-

sion between the subject and the back-ground by creating a point/counterpoint element that makes the image more dra-matic, therefore attracting and holding the eye of the viewer.

DEFINING THENEGATIVE SPACE

Obviously, the positive space is theprimary dening factor of the negativespace, but the negative space is alsodened by something that may not bequite so obvious to the casual observer:the edges or borders of the frame. Inretrospect, this may seem evident, but when actively composing, it’s easy to x-ate on the subject and dismiss the edgesof the frame as irrelevant. This is typicalof the way a normal human brain func-tions and is why casual “snapshooters”often place the subject smack-dab in themiddle of the photograph—they aren’t conscious of the edges of the composi-tion because the brain simply doesn’t let them see it. As a photographer, you must train yourself to see and use the bordersof your image to frame and contain thenegative space, thus further dening it and giving it shape within the connesof the composition.

As previously mentioned, there aretimes when the subject surrounds anddenes the negative space and the sameguidelines apply.

Negative space isn’t always a solid,featureless area surrounding the subject.It can be divided and segmented by oth-er elements of the composition such asleading lines, tonal variations and color differentials. Furthermore, the positivespace of an image contains the subject,

but also can contain other elements that aren’t part of the subject, but elements

important to an image? Well, negativespace has a number of useful aspects when it comes to photographic compo-sition. First of all, negative space can adda sense of balance to a composition by providing a counterweight to the subject.Negative space typically should have lit-tle intricate detail so that it not only provides balance to the image, but also canbe effectively used to draw the viewer’sattention to the main subject. By default,the subject becomes the most important part of the composition because there-in lie the details that provide the point of interest in the composition. Inproduct photography, a photographer often creates ample negative space within the composition to allow thedesigners a place to add copy without

A s photographers, we often get soinvolved in selecting, positioning and composing for the subject that we can forget the unrelated factorsthat have just as much of an impact onthe composition as the main subject itself. In many cases, the often forgottenelement is the negative space.

Negative space is the area of a com-position that doesn’t contain the subject. You often see the denition of negativespace given as “the space that surroundsthe subject,” but this isn’t necessarily anaccurate assessment. Usually, negativespace surrounds the subject, but in somecases, the subject can surround the nega-tive space, and in rarer cases, the negativespace actually can become the subject.

So what makes negative space so

NEGATIVE SPACECONSIDER THE SPACE SURROUNDING YOUR SUBJECT FOR MORE

DYNAMIC COMPOSITIONS | TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY J. DENNIS THOMAS

This on-location portrait of musician

Britt Daniel was taken at a huge festival

with more than 150,000 people. In order

to create negative space and minimize

distraction from the chaotic surround-

ings, I shot from a lower angle to use the

cloudy sky as the background.

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COMPOSING FORNEGATIVE SPACE

Composing an image to take advan-tage of negative space is accomplished inmany different ways. First and foremost, you must actively visualize the negativespace as you’re composing. This meansnot only looking at the subject in the

viewnder, but also observing the back-ground as well as the edges of the frame,and considering how all of these com-bine to make a complete image.

Negative space doesn’t always exist organically in a scene. Often, negativespace needs to be sought out. There area number of techniques that photogra-phers employ to create negative space within their images. Here are a few of the best ways:

Subject Placement. Placing your subject in an area that has a relatively uncluttered background is important tocreating an area of negative space. Youcan accomplish this by actively moving the subject to a different area, by plan-ning ahead and choosing an appropriatescene, or even by simply using a plainbackground of seamless paper or anoth-er similar backdrop.

Photographer Placement. Theremay be times when you’re photograph-ing an event that you have no controlover. In cases like this, you may have toscout shooting locations that provideless visually distracting backgrounds.

Shooting Angle. Sometimes the sur-roundings aren’t very conducive to anuncluttered background and changing locations isn’t an option. In this case, get creative with your angles. Compose fromdown low to use the sky as negative space,or conversely, elevate yourself, aiming down at the subject and use the oor or ground as negative space background.

Use A Wide Aperture. Many photog-raphers already know that using a wideaperture creates shallow depth of eld, which blurs the background. Shooting wide open can transformthe backgroundinto negative space. You still need to pay attention, though, as even out-of-focusbackgrounds can be busy with indistinct blobs of colors that can distract the view-er from the main subject.

As you can see, negative space can

have a positive impact on your images.Make a concerted effort to see the space

subject, which makes the subject appear to be receding. You also have the optionof using analogous colors for the nega-

tive space. This gives the composition amuch more harmonious presence.

Using a cool-colored negative space witha warm-colored subject makes the sub-ject appear to be “popping” off the page,

whereas the opposite is true when using a warm background and a cool-colored

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Publishing’s Nikon Digital Field GuideSeries , as well as Concert and LiveMusic Photography and Urban andRural Decay Photography published by

Focal Press. Find him at www.NikonDFG.com and @JDennisThomas on Twitter.

around your subject and utilize it as acompositional element, too. DP

s s s

J. Dennis Thomas is a freelance photog-

rapher and an author based in Austin,Texas. He’s the author of Wiley

HOW-TO: THE POSITIVES OF NEGATIVE SPACE

I often incorporate negative space aroundperformers in my live music photography tomake the subject stand out—in this case,rocker Billy Idol—as well as to provide anasymmetrical balance that makes the imagemore interesting as a composition.

For this shot, the negative space was dividedinto two separate areas to create dynamictension by adding an element of asymmetri-cal balance to the composition. Although thenegative space is a dominating element of thecomposition, it still allows the viewer to easily

discern the main subject.

Using negative space in a prod-uct photo allows graphic design-ers to add text and graphics tothe photo without impinging onthe actual subject. Most often,these backgrounds are black orwhite so the negative space caneasily be expanded, if needed.

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the eld—I have enough card space tokeep shooting on new cards. The ashcards I’ve already shot become another source of image backup since I don’t reformat them in the eld. And ash

card prices keep dropping, making themmore affordable. I now have three back-ups of my images: my laptop, an exter-nal hard drive and ash cards.

What happens if your computer diesor gets stolen? Well, the good news isthat you have your images on ash cardsand portable hard drives, so you haven’t lost your images. First, you can continueto keep images on ash cards as one

source of backup. You could also carry amultimedia image viewer like the Sanho

images shot on assignment for a client,some of which might be very hard andexpensive to reproduce. It’s time to back up in the eld!

One guideline I use in my backupstrategy is the Rule of 2. I always havemy images backed up in at least two dif-ferent locations. Sometimes I even back up to three locations for peace of mind. You have to decide what works for you.

When I’m on assignment, I carry 200gigabytes of ash cards, my MacBook Air and external 500 GB hard drives. After a day of shooting, I return to my hoteland download my images onto my lap-top and my external hard drive. Remem-ber, downloading can take a lot of time,so choose fast ash cards, card readersand external hard drives that use your computer’s fastest connection, like USB3.0 or Thunderbolt. At this point, I now have my images on my computer and onan external hard drive.

Why do I carry 200 gigabytes of ashcards? First, I may actually shoot that amount of images on a long commercial

assignment. But another benet is that Idon’t have to reformat my ash cards in

B

ackup is the stuff of nightmares,or dreams, depending on how you back up. As with all workow,

backup will vary from photographer to photographer based on shooting habits, computer systems, work envi-ronment and your own conscience. But with all things considered, backup hasone end goal: If your hard drive crashes,all your les, programs and images aresafely stored on other drives and can bequickly restored.

I break my backup workow into twoareas: “in the eld” and “back at home.”I’ll start simple with eld backup andthen look at home backup. No matter if you’re a beginning photographer or a seasoned pro, these guidelines willensure you never suffer from “the back-up nightmare.”

FIELD BACKUPBackup rst starts in the eld. After

a few days of shooting on vacation or working on assignment, ash cards start lling up. Wouldn’t it be a disaster if you

lost your European family vacation pic-tures? Or, my worst-case scenario, losing 40 Q Digital Photo | dpmag.com

USE THESE TIPS FOR WORRY-FREE BACKUP | TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM BOL

WORKFLOW, START TO FINISHPART 3

PRO TIP: With high-grade cards moreaffordable than ever, they’re an option for

both short- and long-term backups.

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out from my G-SPEED Q and replace it with another. The G-SPEED Q will re-store the data using the three function-ing drives and nothing will be lost. RAIDsystems can also be congured other ways, but generally don’t offer as muchredundancy and data protection as RAID5 systems (unless they’re higher thanRAID 5). My G-SPEED Q is connected

to our main computer in the ofce, al-lowing instant access to over 250,000images. When we ll up the 8-terabytedrive, we move everything over to larger 12-terabyte G-SPEED Q drives.

Since this drive is RAID 5 and offersprotection if one drive fails, I shouldbe backed up, right? Yes...and no. Theimages on this drive are, in essence, onmultiple drives, but what happens if my ofce burns down? Hasta luego to my

images! To ensure I can sleep at night, we have a second G-SPEED Q 8-terabyte with all our images stored in another location off-site. We regularly down-load new images to this drive, as wellas our ofce drive, to make sure we’resafely backed up. If one RAID system iscompletely destroyed, we have a secondRAID system stored safely off-site. Somephotographers even use three separateRAID systems stored in different areas. You have to decide what you’re comfort-able with in your system.

So far we’ve talked about image back-up, but what happens to all our docu-

ments and applications if our computer hard drive crashes? This brings up another

them regularly to make prints, send out submissions or share online. It might be your home or an ofce outside your home—but the Rule of 2 still applies. You need to have your images backedup in at least two different locations,and maybe a third location to be really safe. And just as important as how many places your images are backed up is how

they’re backed up. On-site and off-sitebackup are both important.

When I rst converted to digitalmany years ago, my image backup con-sisted of burning archival DVDs andstoring images on a hard drive. Technol-ogy advancements prompted me to im-prove my ofce backup. First, hard driveconnection speeds rapidly increased,making backup speed very fast, muchfaster than burning DVDs. Second, digi-

tal camera le size kept increasing. My main camera today is a Nikon D800, which shoots 36-megapixel les. I caneasily shoot many gigabytes of imageson a one-day shoot. Backing up to DVDs would be too slow and take numerousDVDs for all the les. And newer Mac computers don’t even have DVD drives.It was time to change our backup system.

Today, our on-site ofce image back-up consists of all hard drives. We useG-Technology G-SPEED Q RAID (redun-dant array of individual disks) 8-terabytedrives. These four-bay drives are cong-ured for RAID 5, which means data is

distributed across four hard drives. If one hard drive crashes, I simply pull it

HyperDrive, which allows you to down-load your ash card directly without theneed of a computer, or use a friend’scomputer to download images to your external hard drives.

When I’m on commercial shoots, webring two laptops. I’m not recommend-ing everyone go out and buy a secondlaptop! But when I’m on big-budget shoots, it’s expected that I have redun-dancy in everything to ensure a awlessshoot, including cameras, lenses, light-ing, etc. If one computer goes down, we have a working clone already on-siteand ready to go. On normal photo ex-cursions, I carry one laptop, two exter-nal 500 GB hard drives and lots of ashcards for eld backup.

Smart traveling habits also ensuresolid eld backup. I always put my lap-top out of sight when I leave my hotelroom and put my external hard drives inmy room safe. My ash cards stay withme in my photo pack. By putting your backup devices in different areas, you’rehelping to ensure one will survive any catastrophe. I’ve been known to carry my external hard drive with me at all times. There’s just something warm and fuzzy knowing my entire shoot is with me.

HOME BACKUPOnce I get backfrom a shoot, it’stime

to download the images onto my prima-

ry computer. This is the location where your images “live” and where you accessdpmag.com | March/April 2014 Q 41

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computer, similar to Time Machine. An-other benet of these services is that youcan access your les anywhere in the world as long as you have an Internet connection, and you can back up in theeld, as well. If you combine using your own RAID system with online services, you’re a role model of backup!

Another off-site data-storage optionis Dropbox. Dropbox offers secure datastorage for all your les and documents.Once your les are downloaded toDropbox, they’re automatically backed

up at regular intervals. Dropbox doesn’t automatically restore your hard drive if

aspect of our backup system: protecting our computer drives. For this task, weuse two items, Apple’s Time Capsule andOS X Time Machine software.

AirPort Time Capsule is a wirelesshard drive that backs up our comput-ers via Wi-Fi. Used with OS X Time Ma-chine, Time Capsule automatically backsup our les on a regular interval so we won’t lose any data if a computer harddrive fails. Once a bad hard drive is re-placed, Time Machine will allow you torestore the data you lost.

Windows users also have an optionsimilar to Time Machine. In Windows 8,choose the File History option. This al-lows you to automatically back up your les to an external hard drive. You thencan restore your les using the externalhard drive if you have problems.

OTHER OPTIONSSo far we’ve looked at how I back up

my computer and image les, but thereare other options to consider in con-junction with the methods mentionedearlier for even more secure backup.

One popular way photographersback up is by using online services likeCrashPlan or Carbonite. These servicescharge you a fee for storing images andbacking up data on their industrial-grade servers, offering secure backupand encryption of your les. What’s

really nice is that these services can au-tomatically back up your data on your 42 Q Digital Photo | dpmag.com

HOW TO: WORKFLOW, START TO FINISH, PART 3

it crashes, but it’s simple to use and youcan access your les anywhere you havean Internet connection. It’s also popular for le sharing with clients and friends.

PEACE OF MINDBackup is a critical part of your

workow. All the work you’ve done inthe early stages of workow is saved

in backup. What exact system you useis up to you, but make sure you re-member the Rule of 2 and use bothon-site and off-site backup methods.Once you have reliable and securebackup in place, you’ll be able to sleepbetter at night. DP

s s s

Check out the previous articles in this se-ries on our website, dpmag.com/how-to. For an in-depth look at Tom Bol’s workow, pick up a copy of his book, AdventureSports Photography: Creating Dramatic

Images in Wild Places . Visit Tom’s website at tombolphoto.com.

G-TechnologyG-SPEED Q RAID

Apple AirPortTime Capsule

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ture of the color palette, image contrast and sharpness.

When you feel the urge to create, but lack subject matter that interests you inthe moment, scan your iPhone CameraRoll for elements that might portray thecurrent state of your heart or mind. Can you blend moments of your past toevoke a feeling in the present? DP

s s s

Stephanie Calabrese (www.stephaniecalabrese.com) is an award-winning documentary photographer and theauthor of the best-selling The Art of iPhoneography: A Guide to MobileCreativity, 2nd Edition, and Lens

on Life: Documenting Your World Through Photography.

This rst image is a composite of four images—disparate scenes from my past. To simplify the subjects, I used the VSCO Cam app to convert each pho-tograph to black-and-white. I used theBlender app to blend images 1 and 2together. Then I opened the resulting blended image and blended it with im-age 3. I repeated this process to blendin image 4, making minor zoom andpositioning adjustments to create theillusion of my interlocking hands.

Next, I opened the blended imagein the Mextures app and added a Light Leak lter, adjusting the saturationand blend mode to add a subtle color

palette. Finally, I opened the image in VSCO Cam and increased the tempera-

E ach year, I choose one word toguide me through the year. It’sa self-reective practice I beganve years ago, inspired by Ali Edwardsand her “One Little Word” blog posts(aliedwards.com/2013/12/one-little- word-2014.html). Unlike a resolution,my one-word intention can’t be bro-ken. Much like a compass, it guidesme, particularly when I’m feeling stuck or uncertain. I don’t put any expecta-tions around the word or what it might bring, but I do nd that experiencesthroughout the year tend to unfold inaccord with it.

The selection of my word has typi-cally been a mind-bending process. It starts as a collection of words in mid-December. Then I squeeze it down toa handful. I roll the words around,hold each one up to the light, extro-

vert a subset with my soul sisters, andeventually land on one on 1/1. In past years, I’ve chosen words such as seek,stretch and joy. This year’s selection—love—was remarkably easy. There wereno contenders. I’m not sure why, but this four-letter sequence appeared re-peatedly in my physical world and sort of surrendered itself.

But what does love look like be- yond the four-letter composition? Wecan feel it, but is it possible to visually represent its complexity and intensity in a two-dimensional image? Can oneevoke the feeling of it in a photograph without actually seeing it? I’m not cer-

tain, but I’ll be exploring these ques-tions in a series of images this year.

Layers Of EmotionBLENDING SCENES FROM THE PAST TO PORTRAY A FEELING IN THE PRESENTTEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHANIE CALABRESE

Art of iPhoneographyHOW-TO

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ter-weighted meter to select the shutter speed, but that’s about the most auto-mation you’ll nd for exposure settings.

The main drawback to the digitalM series is the price. The M (Typ 240)camera is about $7,000 (add $1,000 for the M Monochrom), and the cheapest current camera, the M-E, comes in at $5,400. Leica lenses are expensive, as well, ranging from $1,650 to $10,000new. Fortunately, you can nd a few somewhat less expensive older lenses inthe used market, and some good third-party Voigtländer and Zeiss lenses, too.

The main advantage of going with aLeica system is that it’s an investment. The lenses are expensive, but they holdtheir value. Being digital, the camerasthemselves hold their value for lesstime, but longer than a typical digitalcamera does.

HYBRID RANGEFINDERS The hybrid rangender camera is an

invention of Fujilm, rst introduced with the revolutionary X100 cam-era. The styling of the camera is 100% vintage, but these cameras represent cutting-edge technology. It’s a brilliant fusion of optical and electronic view-nder (EVF). The cameras feature anoptical viewnder that has electronic shooting information overlaid on it,including traditional-looking “bright lines” that outline how much of theframe is captured. A ip of a switchturns on the EVF, allowing you to seeexactly what the sensor sees with the ad-

dition of the shooting info.Currently, the hybrid market consists

company: Leica. Introduced in 2007,the 10-megapixel APS-H-sensor LeicaM8 had quite a few bugs, but was stilla success. Leica built upon that success with a much improved 18-megapixel,full-frame CCD-sensor M9, which is car-ried on (slightly modied) into the cur-rent line as the M-E, and they have sincereleased their agship model, the 24-megapixel, CMOS-sensor, full-frame LeicaM (Typ 240), as well as the unprecedent-ed black-and-white-only camera based onthe M9, the Leica M Monochrom.

The Leica M-series digital rangender cameras are for all practical purposesfully manual. There’s no autofocus,and the aperture is set manually on thelens. The cameras do have an aperture-priority auto setting, which uses a cen-

The Nikon D f is currently theonly retro-style DSLR on themarket. It combines the styleof a vintage Nikon F with theoutstanding image quality of

Nikon’s agship camera, the D4.


Olympus PEN E-P5

Leica M

J. DENNIS THOMAS

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behind this camera is to make a classi-cally styled design with top-of-the-linecurrent technology and fuse them intoone relatively small professional-gradecamera body. The main exposure setting controls are placed right on top of thecamera where they’re immediately andeasily accessible.

Another great feature is that theD f is the rst Nikon DSLR that’s fully compatible with pre-AI Nikkor lenses, which opens a new life for some old,but excellent glass that can’t be used onmost Nikon pro DSLRs. This camera isfor those who want the retro styling andcontrols, but still need the strengths of aDSLR system, such as proven, consistent AF, a TTL optical viewnder, weather-sealing and a strong build, as well as the

compatibility with the lenses in their existing Nikon system. DP

The Olympus PEN E-P5 has a vintage rangender look that bor-rows from the styling of Olympus

PEN F 35mm cameras pro-duced in the late 1960sand early 1970s, but hasthoroughly modern fea-tures like built-in Wi-Fi. There’s no built-in view-nder, but an optionalEVF can be mounted tothe hot-shoe.

DSLRSSo far the only com-

pany to jump on theretro-style bandwagon

with a DSLR is Nikon withthe D f , which combines the guts of

their full-frame D4 inside a smaller,lm-camera-style body. The premise

of only two cameras, the Fujilm X100Sand X-Pro1. The main difference betweenthese cameras is that the X100S is a xed-lens camera, while the X-Pro1 is an inter-changeable-lens camera that can be used with Fujilm’s X-series lenses.

MIRRORLESS CAMERASSony recently broke new ground by

adding full-frame sensors to relatively small mirrorless cameras. The newest cameras to Sony’s arsenal are the a7 anda7R. On the outside, the a7 and a7R have the same retro look, but on the in-side the differences lie. The a7R featuresa 36-megapixel sensor, no low-pass l-ter and contrast-detect autofocus; thea7 sports a 24-megapixel sensor with alow-pass lter.

Fujilm’s newest camera, the X-E2, isan update to the highly regarded X-E1, which is basically the X-Pro1 without the hybrid nder. The X-E2 takes theform factor of the X-Pro1 and adds someof the X100 technological advances suchas on-sensor phase-detection AF for fast-er, more accurate focusing. The X-E2 alsotakes Fujilm’s line of X-mount lenses,as well as just about any other type of lenses with adapters. The little sister tothe X-E2 is the X-M1, which omits the viewnder and adds a tilt-screen LCDfor composition.

EQUIPMENT: RETRO REVOLUTION

Sony a7

Fujifilm X-Pro1

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Cameras

STANDOUTFEATURE: This easy-to-use, entry-level DSLRprovides excellent image quality.

STANDOUTFEATURE: The 20.3 MP APS-C DSLR-style mirror-less camera makes it easy to capture and share images.

1 |TheD3300 is available in red, black or gray. 2 | Themodedial also provides access to an expanded Guide Mode,which helps the user become a better, more knowledge-able photographer. 3 | The optional WU-1a Wireless MobileAdapter adds Wi-Fi uploading and remote operation.

Nikon’s new D3300 improves on the excellent D3200 entry-levelDSLR in a number of ways. There’s a new EXPEED 4 image processor(vs. the EXPEED 3 in the D3200), and normal ISO range is now 100-12800 (vs. 100-6400), expandable to 25600 (vs. 12800). While thepixel count remains a whopping 24.2 megapixels, the D3300’ssensor has no OLPF (optical low-pass filter), increasing sharp-ness potential. It can shoot at 5 fps (up from 4 fps with theD3200) and can do 1080 full HD video with full-time AF at60p (vs. 30p for the D3200). The new camera is slightlysmaller and comes with a new retractable 18-55mm VR II kitzoom that makes thecamera/lens package considerablyslim-merthan theD3200with its18-55mmkit zoom.Andthe specsindicate that the D3300 can do about 30% more shots per bat-terycharge per CIPA testing standards.

Like its predecessor (which remains in the Nikon DSLR lineup),the D3300 employs a 420-pixel RGB metering system and 11-pointAF system that functions in light as dim as EV -1. Like other entry-level Nikon DSLRs, the D3300 has no AF motor, relying on lensesthat have one—the AF-S and AF-I optics—which currently range

from a 10-24mm superwide zoom to an 800mm supertelephoto.The eye-level pentamirror viewfinder shows about 95% of the

actual image area, while the 3-inch LCD monitor shows 100% (inLive View mode). Shutter speeds range from 30 to 1 ⁄ 4000 sec. Imagesare stored on SD/SDHC/SDXC cards (one slot). The optional WU-1aWireless Mobile Adapter addsWi-Fi connectivity forinstant upload-ing of images and videos to a smart device, which can also be usedto operate the D3300 remotely. The camera is compatible with theoptional GP-1A GPS. Dimensions are 4.9x3.9x3.0 inches and 15.1ounces (body only).

Estimated Street Price: $649 (with 18-55mm VR II kit zoom).

NIKON D3300

Samsung offers mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras in twoform factors: DSLR-style and at compact-style. Interestingly, allfeature 20.3-megapixel Samsung APS-C CMOS sensors. The newNX30 replaces the NX20 as the agship DSLR-style model. It im-proves on its predecessor in a number of ways, including a morepowerful image processor, better EVF and external monitor,and improved video and wireless capabilities. (The higher-priced Samsung Galaxy NX uses a similar form factor, butis larger—almost DSLR size—to accommodate its built-inAndroid operating system and 4.8-inch screen.)

The eye-level EVF features XGA resolution and tilts upto 80° upward for easy low-angle shooting. The new 3-inchSuper AMOLED touch-screen monitor swings180° horizontallyand swivels 270° for easy all-angle shooting.

Benefits of the new DRIMeIV processor include 9 fps shooting

at full 20.3-megapixel resolution, ISO settings from 100-25,600,1080/60p full HD video capability (with OIS Duo stabilization), and2D/3Dcapture with the optional Samsung 45mm ƒ/1.8 2D/3D lens.

Integrated NFC and the Photo Beam feature let you transfer im-ages and videos from the NX30 to a compatible smartphone or tablet just by touching the devices together. AutoShare sends each photo toyour smartphone or tablet automatically, while MobileLink allows youto send selected images to four smart devices simultaneously. RemoteViewfinder Prolets youoperate the NX30 remotely viasmartphone.

Images are stored on SD/SDHC/SDXC media with UHS-I com-patibility. Lens focal lengths from 16mm to 200mm are available forSamsung’s NX cameras (with the sensor’s 1.5X focal-length factor,this is a range equivalent to 24-300mm on a 35mm camera or full-frame DSLR). Dimensions are 5.0x3.8x1.6 inches and 13.2 ounces

(body only).List Price TBA.

SAMSUNG NX30

1 | The new eye-level EVF and external Super AMOLEDtouch-screen monitor are both adjustable. 2 | A big hand-grip provides good ergonomics. 3 | The new 16-50mmƒ/2-2.8 S ED OIS zoom is the first in Samsung’s premium

S-series.

I N T R O D U C E

D

1/ 2 0 1 4

I N T R O D U C E

D

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EQUIPMENT

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the light through diffusion, shape anddirectional control, and color correc-tion. Diffusers reduce and spread thelight from your ash for a softer effect and less contrast. They’re especially use-ful for portraiture and for ll lighting.

In the studio, you can bounce ashoff the ceilings or walls. For outdoor shoots or really big spaces, bounces,snoots and grids, and beauty dishes help you rene your ash output to blendseamlessly with the ambient light or tocreate dramatic effects. Modiers that bounce light are reective and allow youto redirect the angle of your ash output.Snoots and grids create a spotlight effect,shaping and restricting the ash output to a specic area of your composition.Beauty dishes reect light for a soft effect and create attering catchlights in your subject’s eyes, ideal for portraiture.

Essential for outdoor work or mixed-

lighting environments, gels let youchange the color of light from your ash.

W hat does it take to get pro resultspractically anywhere? This on-location shooting guide coversall the bases for shooting outdoors, at events or in your subject’s home or of-ce. Much of this gear also is useful for creating an instant studio at home.

FLASH MODIFIERS Achieving perfect light on location

is one of the primary challenges versusthe controlled environment of a studio.For the ultimate in on-location lighting,monolights are relatively portable, af-fordable and easy to use. (See our cov-erage of high-powered models suitablefor outdoor use in this issue. Also check out the article featuring battery-poweredmonolights in our sister publication,Digital Photo Pro: tinyurl.com/photo-pro-monolights.)

If you’re working with ash, modi-

ers are extremely helpful for ne-tuning ash output. Modiers help you control

Harbor Digital Design’s Ultimate Light Box Kittransforms your ash to create a soft, diffused

light source. A set of six color filters designed forthe Ultimate Light Box is also available.

The Interfit Photographic Strobies Modi-Lite Kit offers 18 different modifier combinations to achieve a wide variety of lighting effects. The kit includes theUni-Mount universal adapter that will fit any ash unit.

udioBUILD A KIT OF ESSENTIALGEAR FOR SHOOTING ONL

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