nz photographer issue 7
DESCRIPTION
GOT A CAMERA? SUBSCRIBE TO NZ PHOTOGRAPHER! Whether you're an enthusiastic weekend snapper, a beginner to intermediate level photographer, or just have an interest in photography, NZ Photographer e-magazine is the free and fun e-magazine for Kiwi camera owners.TRANSCRIPT
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 1
SIMPLE TIPS to improve
YOUR PHOTOGRAPHYPart Two
Issue 7 November 11th 2009
WHAT IS A TILT-SHIfT LENS?
Your Images cRITIqUEd
How ToPHOTOGRAPH SPIdERS’ WEbS
Helping you take better photos
MacrocOMPETITIONWINNER
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 3
OCT 21 22 23
24 25 26
27 28 29
30 31 11
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8 9 10 11
CALENDARADDRESSESLopdell House418 Titirangi Rd, Titirangi
Unitec Bldg 1, Gate 1, Carrington Rd, Mt Albert, Auckland
EVEN
TS/E
XHIB
ITIO
NS:
Do
you
have
an
exhi
bitio
n or
pho
togr
aphi
c ev
ent o
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ywhe
re in
NZ?
Let
us
know
at C
alen
dar@
nzph
otog
raph
er.c
o.nz
.
OCT
NZ Photographer Due Out!Issue 6
PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUBSHowick Camera Club7.30pm. 1st, 3rd & 4th Mondays each month (excpet Dec and Jan).We meet in the Howick Bridge Club in the grounds of the Howick Recreation Center, on the Pakuranga Highway, just before the intersection with Botany Road. See www.howickcameraclub.org.nz for more information.Club President: Colin Tyler
North Shore Photographic Society7:30pm. 1st, 2nd & 4th Mondays each month.1st Wed – Workshop Night2nd Wed – Projected Image Assessment Night
4th Wed – Print Assessment NightWe meet in the Memorial Hall, City Library building, The Strand, TakapunaClub President: Kay Hook
Hutt Camera Club7:45pm
2nd & 4th Tuesday of each monthFor more information visit www.huttcameraclub.org.nz
List your photographic club or society here! Email [email protected] with details of who you are and when and where your next meeting is.Listing in this category is entirely free!
PSNZ Central Regional ConventionOct 30th, 31st, & Nov 1stSilverstream Retreat, Upper Hutt.Great workshops, inspirational speakers, awesome field trips - something for everyone! Registrations are being accepted online at www.get-a-grip.co.nz, so get a grip on
your camera and come along to a weekend full of fun, learning and entertainment. Everyone is welcome - you don’t need to be a member of the PSNZ to attend. Check out the convention blog on the website for all the latest news!Contact: Toya Heatley Hutt Camera Club Committee.
Jasmine Star – wedding photographer from Orange CountyWorkshop held in January – more details to come
COMING SOON
WE NEED YOUR EVENTS!
cONTENTS
18. Gear Review:WHAT IS A
TILT-SHIfT LENS?
17. cALENdAR
6. SIMPLE TIPS TO IMPROVEYour PhotographyPART TWO
8. HOW TO: Photograph a Spider's Web
11. PIc Of the bunch
15. YOUR WORKCritiqued
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 4
Photography is creative, and can be extremely
inspirational. Photography competitions that bring the
best creativity and inspiration out of photographers
of all levels should be applauded and celebrated. I must,
therefore, give credit to canon’s latest competition which has
just closed, EOS Photo5. If you were one of the lucky few
who registered in time to receive one of the limited edition
Photo5 boxes, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
EOS Photo5 had 5 categories – Portraiture, close-up,
Almost black, Splatter and, possibly the most interesting,
bokeh, which is like a piece of cardboard with a shape
cut out of it that you attach to the front of your lens. The
competition certainly inspired me to get out and shoot, and
going by the other entries, which you can view now on
the Photo5 website, it inspired many photographers from
around New Zealand and Australia to do the same. If you
were one of them, good luck for the judging! If you weren’t,
I suggest you make a big effort next year. Regardless,
you should have a look at the entries in all the categories,
and take some inspiration from the diversity and creativity
throughout! (I’ve
included one of my
entries in the article
on Tilt-Shift lenses in
this issue.)
EditorialHere are a few recent comments from our
facebook page:
Bruce Pool - Great issue. Love the
macro article.
October 23 at 12:49am
Allison Mackenzie - Am printing out my copy now to read
in bed! Thanks for the lovely comments about my picture -
really thrilled! Looking forward to reading more about macro
photography. Keep up the brilliant work Ollie!
October 22 at 10:33pm
Tracy Little - fantastic Articles as per normal - loving the
Macro feature!!
October 22 at 12:46am
Bruce Pool - And this is the only magazine I have come
across when the authors actually communicate directly with
the readers.
October 1 at 9:35pm
Editor: I love the interactivity of the internet too, Bruce. Hush,
hush - We’re also working on a little project that will increase
that interactivity - watch this space!
AbOUT Whether you’re an enthusiastic weekend snapper or a beginner who wants to learn more, NZ Photographer is the fun e-magazine for all Kiwi camera owners – and it’s free!
EdITOR Ollie dale, ANZIPP
[email protected] EdITOR Trudi caffellART dIREcTOR Jodi OlssonAdVERTISING ENqUIRIES Phone Richard on 09 523 4112 or
email [email protected] NZ Photographer, c/- Espire Media, PO box 137162, Parnell, Auckland 1151, NZWEbSITE www.nzphotographer.co.nz
NZ Photographer is an Espire Media publication
to improveSIMPLE TIPS YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
Issue 6 October 21st 2009
YOUR IMAGES Critiqued
How to:SHOOT MACRO SHOTS
Street ArtESSAY WINNER
Helping you take better pictures
LETTERS
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90MB/second 60MB/second
For more info contact [email protected]
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 6
Last issue we started our feature on technical tips to help you
create visually appealing photos that everyone will love.
This issue, we give you the final few ideas that will take your
photography to the next level!
Line up your photo: Your brain likes lines, however within
a photo they must be either parallel or perpendicular with others
to be most effective. This is incredibly important if taking scenic
images – nothing ruins a lovely landscape picture faster than if
the horizon is not straight, or if there’s a power line cutting into
the image at an awkward angle. It’s immediately noticeable and
can literally ‘make or break’ your brilliant image.
Shoot from different angles: When possible avoid
taking photos at eye level. The
reason for this is simple – it’s
the same angle everyone else
is at. It’s normal, therefore
it’s boring! find something
you wish to photograph and
try using a different angle.
for example, take a picture
from up high or down low –
a meter or two can make all the difference and turn a good
picture into a great one. (This is why you will often see other
photographers crouching down when taking a photo.)
Research: is another easy way to improve your
photography fast. Look at other people’s photos. Scour
Simple Tips TO IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
Part twoBy Sam woolford
Before taking pictures,
spend time thinking about
images you would like
to create
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 7
magazines and art galleries, spend time
and try to identify what makes a specific
photo great. Then when you’re next doing
your own photo shoot, try to replicate what
you have learned. You don’t have to copy
the image exactly but you can take creative
license from other photographers’ images. before taking
pictures, spend time thinking about images you would like to
create. If you have an idea of the photograph you want before
picking up your camera, you’re half way there.
Fill in the frame: This is key; it’s what makes photography
an art from – a camera cannot fill the frame for you, it’s all
up to the photographer. Identify your focal point and use it
to fill as much of the frame as possible. close ups are always
impressive. If you try and include too many different things
in a photo it becomes cluttered and ensures that nothing in
the image will have impact – KEEP IT SIMPLE. Remember, just
because it’s not in the middle doesn’t mean it’s not your focal
point; don’t forget the basics.
Rotate your camera: Your camera doesn’t always have
to be horizontal; vertical pictures can create stunning images
too. Also, don’t forget that it doesn’t matter if you hold the
camera vertically or horizontally you still have to be careful, the
horizon line should always be parallel with the top of the image.
crooked horizons are a sure fire way to ruin a nice photo.
Break the rules: Once you’re comfortable and understand
these rules, go out and break the rules! Photography is an art
form, and although this article outlines ‘rules’, in reality they are
just recommendations. don’t forget that what appeals to one
person might not appeal to another - beauty is in the eye of the
beholder. Understanding is paramount but application is not!
In conclusion, the aim of a good photograph is to give the
eye and the mind something to enjoy. It must be easy on the
eye, and at the same time be visually stimulating. If you take the
time to apply these simple techniques to your photography, your
photos will only improve. Lastly, remember there are no black
and white rules; follow the rules but don’t forget to occasionally
step outside the square and explore the grey area.
Once &understand
these rules, go out &
break the
rules!
you’recomfortable
Sam Woolford is a freelance photographer specialising in marketing and advertising photography. Originally from West Auckland, he has spent the last few years living in
Luxembourg, Europe. You can find a wide range of photos and contact details on www.outwidephotography.com
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 8
One photographic subject that has wonderful
opportunities – but also a lot of challenges – is the
spider’s web. They’re tiny, almost invisible, and tricky to
capture well with a camera. So how can you successfully record
those little beauties? The following 10 tips should help you get
started, and can be broken into two categories – the creative
composure, and the technical skills.
MAKE THEM STANd OUT
Use a dark background – webs can be translucent and even •
reflective, so look for an angle that will give them a dark
background and make them stand out. If there isn’t one
naturally available, look for ways to introduce one yourself.
Shoot close up – they’re so teensy that you should really get in •
close to get more detail in your shot.
Use a narrow depth of f ield – this can help retain •
a focal point to your image, and make i t more
visual ly appealing.
define them with water – morning dew can really pull a •
web out of obscurity and turn it into something beautiful.
You have two options – wait for a particularly dewy day,
get up really early, and hope that you’ll find some decent
spider webs, or find the web you like and use a very fine
mist spray bottle to spray a small amount of water onto
the web. don’t use too much though, as excessive water
will cause large beads to form and can distort the shape
and beauty of the web.
Experiment with flash – use an off-camera flash (or a •
reflector) to get some more light onto the web, and maybe
even create shadows.
Before you SPring-clean them away...By ollie Dale
HOW TO: Photograph a Spider's Web
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 9
SHOOT TEcHNIcALLY WELL
Shoot lots of angles – don’t just shoot straight on; get above it, •
below it and shoot it from both sides if you can.
Use a tripod – if you’re shooting with a dark background, •
early in the morning, you’ll most likely find a tripod is
indispensible.
Angle your light – Use the angle of the light to bring the best •
out of the web, and try different ways of lighting your subject.
focus, focus, focus – all of the above tips are useless if you •
don’t focus your image properly, and spider webs demand the
perfect focus to work well.
fill your frame – lastly, don’t leave too much empty space •
around the web – get in closer, or just zoom in to fill your
frame and show off the delicacies of your subject
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 10
This article contributed by Ollie dale, a professional photographer based in Parnell, Auckland, and a qualified member of the
NZIPP (commercial). More details can be found on his website, www.photonz.com
Workshop SeriesBringing the knowledge to you.
NZ Photographer is pleased to announce the dates of our first Workshop Series... If you like NZ Photographer, you’ll love these workshops!
Basic Photography 1 Camera Basics Camera Presets Portrait Tips Using the Flash Using Macro Camera Angles+ the Latest Magazine Reviewed
(Bring your camera!)
90 min/ $40Sat 21st Nov10 - 11:30am
Basic Photography 2 Composition Rule of Thirds Megapixel vs. Megabyte Photo Editing Software+ the Latest Magazine Reviewed
(Bring your camera!)
90 min / $40Sat 21st Nov12 - 1:30pm
Post Production Skills 1 Basic Photoshop Other Software Options Workflow Tips+ the Latest Magazine Reviewed
90 min / $40Sat 12th Dec10 - 11:30am
Post Production Skills 2 Advanced Photoshop Techniques+ the Latest Magazine Reviewed
90 min/ $40Sat 12th Dec12 - 1:30pm
Limited seats for each workshop, so book now! Email [email protected] [email protected]@nzphotographer.co. zditor@nzphotographer co nzditor@nzphotographer cohhotograpitor@ided @nzphotographerd h [email protected]@nzphotographer.co. [email protected]@nzphotographer.co.nz
Workshops held at Studio 3D, 93 The Strand, Parnell, Auckland, in association with PhotoNZ Ltd. Come and meet other subscribers, ask questions and get tricks & tips to improve your images!Pre-bookings Essen
tial!
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 11
What a great turnout we had for the Macro competition! Yet
again we had a vast range of entries, and our winner is:
Murray Lowe
Murray’s “Ladybird drinking” shot was masterfully captured, and
amazingly timed – I’ve never seen a ladybird drinking, so you’ve
done well! We hope you enjoy your bbq set, canvas Print and the
glory of being the cover of Issue 7 of NZ Photographer!
To celebrate the other entries into the competition, and to
inspire the rest of us, we’ll include them on the following pages.
Well done everyone!
PIc Of THE BunchMacro Single-image Winner
Murray Lowe
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 12
Highly Commended
Justin Aitken
Jak cao
beth Elliott
Rick Mcquinlan
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 13
Hayden Wilson
Liz Robertson
Lyall Reynolds
Trish Gribble
Best of the Rest
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 14
Seeing as our final issue for 2009 goes out on
Wednesday 23rd december, what better subject to
illustrate than christmas!? We’ll give you some tips in
the next issue about how you can create stunning christmas
imagery, but get your thinking caps on, and start planning
some ideas.
Submit your best image to [email protected].
Entry Deadline: 5pm, 14th December 2009Winner Published: Issue 9 (Christmas)
Get your image published, and be the cover of our next •
issue.
Have your winning image printed on canvas, thanks to •
PhotoNZ.com
Plus, with summer just around the corner, get your greasy •
hands on this wicked bbq set, care of our friends at brand
Storming Promotions.
brand Storming Promotions provides unique and pretty cool
apparel and promotional merchandise for any corporate event or
marketing strategy. To promote your business or to get something
branded with your logo, check out their website at www.bsp.co.nz.
PhotoNZ.com can get your favourite images printed on high-
quality canvas at almost any size. Hang your photography around
your home or office, or make highly personalised gifts for friends,
relatives and those people who seem to have everything. Order
your canvas online at www.photonz.com.
cOMPETITION RULES:
You should enter only one image, and only if you are a
subscriber to NZ Photographer.
The image should be emailed at a minimum of •
100dpi, 20cm wide.
The image you enter must have been taken on or •
after November 11th 2009.
You as the photographer will retain all copyrights •
to the image. by entering your image you grant
NZ Photographer a non-exclusive license to use
the image in the magazine and on the website
www.nzphotographer.co.nz.
NZ Photographer will not sell or make available •
the image to any third party for any reason.
The judge’s decision is final, and is not open •
for debate.
Next Single-image Competitionhere’S our laSt Single image comPetition for the year – chriStmaS
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 15
camera: Nikon d5000
Shutter Speed: 1/640th sec
Aperture: f5.6
Lens: Af-S dX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm
OLLIE’S cOMMENTS:
It’s good to see you shooting from the hip to capture something you see in
front of you, and I think I get what you’re trying to achieve, but I also think
you’ve missed your chance.
Obviously, the fact that you’re at the base of the Eiffel Tower is important
to you, because you’ve mentioned it, but for anyone looking at the image
who didn’t know where it was taken, the structure in the top left corner is
just a bit of a mess. I say you missed your opportunity to capture a couple
walking with the Eiffel Tower because to get that you needed to change your
angle, i.e. get down on one knee and look up a little.
The other big issue is that, in trying to get the couple and the tower together,
your image now has too many distracting elements. The people in the
background, the shadows on the left and the policemen – cool though they
are – are all distracting me from the main subject, the couple.
Ok, so now that I’ve picked it to pieces, let’s look at what does work! I’ll do
some work on it in Photoshop, but this is by no means THE ONLY work you
can/could do to your image, just what came to my mind straight away.
To enhance this particular image once it’s been taken you need to bring
the focus back to the couple. One way you can do that is to use selective
colour to bring the couple out of the background (OP1).
Taking that idea even further, running the selected-colour image through a
bleach bypass filter gives it a lot more punch, and is a bit more gritty (OP2).
Now, thinking graphically, the image could be played with any number of
ways – here’s an extreme example, using overlays and textures, to really
convert the image into something very different from the original. (OP3)
In summary, the distracting elements of the original image need to be dulled
down, and focus needs to be brought back to the couple. Either do that on the
spot when you’re taking the photo, or later, in post production – the tools and
techniques you choose to do that, however, are completely up to you.
your work critiqueDJudge: Ollie dale
Sized Up
OP1
OP2
There’s no better way to learn than by having your work
critiqued! In this section you get to have your work
critiqued by a professional photographer, Ollie dale. Ollie
has been a professional photographer for six years, and has
had clients such as the NZ Herald, Visa, Microsoft, Westpac,
Unitec and bMW. He is also a qualified commercial member
and Associate of the New Zealand Institute of Professional
Photography (ANZIPP).
fROM THE AUTHOR:
Hi, I’ve got a snap that in my view is great, but was
wondering if/how to improve it. It was taken at the Eiffel
Tower in Paris during our recent holiday. I must admit, my
camera was in auto and it was more of an on-the-spot, point-
and-shoot shot.
OP3
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 16
We spend much of our lives eating, and good food
is great, so show us an essay on food, eating, or
anything related. This topic can be a lot of fun, so
really get creative with your angles, subjects, and cropping. Also,
try the same shot with different lighting – think torches, candles,
sunlight, or a flash light.
Remember, plan your shots and send your best four to six images
to [email protected]. If you didn’t read the article on
how to shoot photo essays in the first issue you can download it here.
Get your image in to win:
be the cover of Issue 8!•
Have your best image printed on canvas, thanks to •
PhotoNZ.com.
Plus, with summer just around the corner, get your greasy •
hands on this wicked bbq set, care of our friends at brand
Storming Promotions.
ESSAY RULES:
You should enter four to six images per essay, and only if 1.
you are a subscriber to NZ Photographer.
Images should be sent through at a minimum of 100dpi, 2.
20cm wide, and can be on separate emails.
The images you enter must have been taken on or after 3.
October 21st 2009.
You as the photographer will retain all copyrights to the 4.
images. by entering your images you grant NZ Photographer
a non-exclusive license to use the images in the magazine
and on the website www.nzphotographer.co.nz.
NZ Photographer will not sell or make available the 5.
images to any third party for any reason.
The judge’s decision is final, and is not open for debate.6.
Win withNZ PHOTOGRAPHER
Theme: Eating
Entry Deadline: 5pm, 23rd November 2009
Winner Published: Issue 8, 2009
Get snapping for our photo essay competition on the subject of eating!
NOV 11 12 13
14 15 16
17 18 19
20 21 22
23 24 25
26 27 28
29 30 dEc 1 2
cALENdARAddRESSES
Lopdell House
418 Titirangi Rd,
Titirangi
Unitec bldg 1,
Gate 1,
carrington Rd,
Mt Albert, Auckland
EVEN
TS/E
XHIb
ITIO
NS:
do
you
have
an
exhi
bitio
n or
pho
togr
aphi
c ev
ent o
n an
ywhe
re in
NZ?
Let
us
know
at c
alen
dar@
nzph
otog
raph
er.c
o.nz
.
NOV
NZ Photographer due Out!Issue 6
PHOTOGRAPHIc cLUbSHowick camera club
7.30pm. 1st, 3rd & 4th Mondays each
month (excpet dec and Jan).
We meet in the Howick bridge club in the
grounds of the Howick Recreation center,
on the Pakuranga Highway, just before
the intersection with
botany Road. See
www.howickcameraclub.org.nz
for more information.
club President: colin Tyler
North Shore Photographic Society
7:30pm. 1st, 2nd & 4th Mondays
each month.
1st Wed – Workshop Night
2nd Wed – Projected Image Assessment
Night
4th Wed – Print Assessment Night
We meet in the Memorial Hall, city
Library building, The Strand, Takapuna
club President: Kay Hook
Hutt camera club
7:45pm
2nd & 4th Tuesday of each month
for more information visit
www.huttcameraclub.org.nz
List your photographic club
or society here! Email
[email protected] with details
of who you are and when and where
your next meeting is.
Listing in this category is entirely free!
PSNZ central Regional convention
Oct 30th, 31st, & Nov 1st
Silverstream Retreat, Upper Hutt.
Great workshops, inspirational speakers, awesome field trips
- something for everyone! Registrations are being accepted
online at www.get-a-grip.co.nz, so get a grip on
your camera and come along to a weekend full of fun,
learning and entertainment. Everyone is welcome - you
don’t need to be a member of the PSNZ to attend.
check out the convention blog on the website for all the
latest news!
contact: Toya Heatley Hutt camera club committee.
Jasmine Star – wedding photographer from Orange countyWorkshop held in January – more details to come
cOMING SOON
WE NEEd YOUR EVENTS!
If you’ve never heard of a Tilt-Shift lens, then prepare to be
amazed. I had heard of them, long ago, and heard rumours of
what they did, but I managed to be a professional photographer
for six years before I finally got my hands on one and attached it to
my own camera. And that was last week.
Also known (only to real geeks, though) as perspective control
lenses, tilt-shift (TS) lenses do just that – they control focus and
perspective by tilting and shifting.
Have you ever photographed a building from across the road?
The fact that the building is higher than you means that you have
to angle your camera upwards to get the whole building in the
frame of your picture. Unfortunately, that angling upwards of
your camera gives you a distorted view of the building (the top
looks smaller the higher it is), and the wider your lens, the more
distortion you get.
You may find that you’ve subconsciously become used to
photographs looking like that, because they just do and you can’t
change them. Well, in 1961 some bright spark at Nikon had a
better idea and Nikon released the f/3.5 35mm Pc-Nikkor (Pc
standing for Perspective control). Since then the technology has
been getting better and better, and this year canon released their
latest versions – the wide angle TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II, and the
ultra-wide angle TS-E 17mm f/4L. Photographers who knew about
TS lenses had been screaming out (apparently) to canon for some
wider-angle versions of the TS lenses canon already produced –
the 45mm and 90mm models – and canon came to the party with
two very amazing pieces of glass.
This week I was given the opportunity to play with both the brand
new TS-E 17mm, plus the older model TS-E 45mm.
HoW Do THEy WoRk? GooD quESTIoN...They have three major differences to a normal lens – while the
lens mount stays attached to the SLR camera, the lens itself can be
shifted up and down, tilted left and right, and rotated around (so
that you can still shift up and down when you rotate your camera
to take a vertical photo). Those three actions mean that the structure
of the lens is like nothing you’ve seen before.
by tilting or shifting the lens in relation to the camera, different
angles of light hit the camera’s sensor. The mathematics of
these angles and changes are best left to people who sleep with
calculators under their pillows (have you seen the glass on the
front of the 17mm lens??) – all you need to know is that you can
change perspective lines by shifting, and you can change focus
planes by tilting.
In case you don’t understand the extraordinary implications of
what I just said, I will repeat it: you can change the camera’s focal
plane by tilting.
GEAR REVIEWwhat iS a tilt-Shift lenS?
With 17mm Tilt-Shift Lens Without 17mm Tilt-Shift Lens
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 19
STILL SCRATCHING youR HEAD? okAy...When you point
your camera at a
landscape stretching
out before you, the
focal plane is vertical
at whatever distance
you focus on. bring
the focus closer to the
camera and things in
the distance go out
of focus, and push
the focus away and
all your foreground
objects go blurry. If
you rotate your TS lens 90° , and tilt your TS lens downwards,
you effectively tilt your focal plane away from you, meaning
you can achieve focus on the flowers at your feet ANd the hills
in the distance.
Here’s another extreme example of adjusting your focal plane
– this shot was taken with the canon 45mm TS lens and was
tilted and shifted in such a way that the focal plane runs at a
very weird angle through the child – his right eye, left side of his
mouth, and the front of his shirt are all in focus, while everything
else is out (in some cases way out) of focus.
THERE ARE SoME DoWNSIDES To TS LENSES...TS lenses are ‘fixed focal length’ lenses, i.e. they don’t zoom.
This means that you may need to buy more than one if you have
different needs (e.g. 24mm for architecture, 90mm for portraits).
They’re also manual focus, due to the fact that the focus can be
all over the place. I don’t think it would be hard to make them
auto-focus, but no one has yet. The other nasty is that at extreme
levels of shift the auto exposure settings won’t work properly, so
you need to take an exposure reading and set your camera’s
exposure manually.
...BuT THE uPSIDES ARE AMAzING!The possible creative applications of the effects of TS lenses will
open new worlds to your photography, not to mention the practical
aspects of straightening the converging lines in your photos.
An extremely good example of that statement, and indeed the
inspiration behind writing this article, are the wedding photos and
portraits on the website of Sean flanigan, a wedding photographer
from Seattle, Washington in the USA. His style is winning awards,
and obviously selling wedding albums!
IN THE ENDTilt-Shift lenses could quite possibly be my most exciting find of 2009
– the TS-E 45mm has definitely gone to the top of my gear wish-list,
simply because of the creative possibilities it gives my photography.
If you’re going to buy one, though, make sure you have a specific
reason to choose which focal length you use. You’ll struggle to get
good portraits out of the wide angle models, because they are still
wide angle lenses, and the longer focal lengths will be great for
portraiture and close-ups but not so good for architecture. The 45mm
model offers me the
most versatility, with a
moderate focal length
and great effects. You’ll
also need to count your
pennies – the wide angle
L-series lenses (17mm and
24mm) retail for around
$4,500 each, while the
45mm and 90mm models
closer to $3,000. don’t
expect to be able to pick
one up quickly though –
there aren’t many on the
shelves of most retailers
around New Zealand!
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 20
You won’t be getting your paws around this without a buddy
in Japan ready and willing to ship it your way, but those
camped out in the Land of the Rising Sun recently had the
chance to jockey for an opportunity to grab the most colorful Pentax
K-x dSLR of all time. The Korejanai K-x –which was engineered by
the same folks behind the ‘Self destruct button’ USb hub – looks as if
it had all of its panels painted a different hue, and as diehard lovers
of the iconic 1996 Volkswagen Harlequin Golf, we can’t help but
drool here. Only 100 of these will be sold, and it’ll be bundled with
a matching Korejanai Robot Model. Of course, the camera itself is
identical to the standard version save for the paint job, but somehow
we’re guessing you’ll appreciate this one just a wee bit more. It was
set to sell for ¥79,800 (around NZ$1200), but with orders being
accepted from November 2nd we doubt there’ll be any left by now!
Source: Engadget
cOOL STUffkorejanai k-x
NZ Photographer
Nov
11 21
In the next issue of NZ Photographer-
Book review: Press Pass (Photojournalism)
winner of the ‘eating’ Photo essay comp
Tips for our Christmas Single Image Competition that ‘gimp’ review
we’ve Been Promisinghow to: get great Summer holiday Photos