Photography Monthly Magazine September 2011

ISSUE 125

SEPTEMBER 2011

WWW.PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM £3.99

WILD BRITAINLearn how to photograph spidersand other forgotten local wildlife

IN THIS ISSUE:THE FUJI X100: is it worth £1,000?PHOTO ESSAYS FROM IDEA TO EXECUTIONHOW TO PHOTOGRAPH A RIOT

NEW SERIES!

30 PROJECTSIN 30 DAYSTry something new

every day this month

The magazine for people who love taking pictures

BATTLE OF THEENTRY LEVELS

Canon EOS 600D vs Nikon D5100

PERFECTPORTRAITSA pro’s techniques forshooting people indoors

� TECHNIQUES � GEAR REVIEWS � INTERVIEWS � READERS’ PICTURES

PROTECTYOUR GEAR

Our buyers’guide sectionwill help youand your kitstay safe fromthe elements

WIN ASAMSUNGNX100!

BRIAN DUFFYThe lost pictures

PM_SEPT_COVER:Layout 1 27/07/2011 17:14 Page 1

SMALL CAMERA. EPIC SHOTS.“ The Lumix G3 amazed me, because I was shocked by the size of it. I need

to be able to rely on my equipment – and this delivers. The electronic viewfi nder helps you really compose the shot the way you want it. And with the fl exible screen, and wide range of interchangeable lenses available, the true beauty of it is it doesn’t have any restrictions. It allows me to photograph the world the way I see it.”

To bring this to life, download Aurasma Lite from the App Store.Point your smart phone/device at this advert to access special, extra content.

David EustacePhotographer

Explore David’s gallery from Yosemite, what inspired him and more on the Lumix G3 at www.panasonic.co.uk/lumixg

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WWW.PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM [3]

WELCOMESEPTEMBER 2011 | ISSUE 125

FROM THE EDITOR

Adam ScoreyGroup EditorAdam has been editingfor eight years. But priorto this he was a pictureeditor for a TV newscompany and freelancenews photographer for10 years.

MEET THE PM TEAM

Jeff MeyerPM EditorJeff has worked as ajournalist for 16 yearsand worn nearly everyhat in the newsroom.Prior to PM he edited awebsite and has writtenfor several photo titles.

Simon ReynoldsSub-EditorSimon was a sub-editor onnewspapers for more than30 years before joining thePM team. His knowledgeof pretty much everythingmeans our words are insafe hands.

Kelly WeechFeatures AssistantAs well as helping usto review the latest gear,Kelly is a weddingphotographer who isalways looking for ideasand ways to develop herphotography.

Jessica LambEditorial AssistantJessica is the guardianof our website andFacebook pages, andkeeps the PM team andreaders up-to-date withall the latest news andreleases.

Karen le GallezDesignerKaren has more than 20years’ experience in theworld of design and hasreally enjoyed working onPM over the past fourmonths – watch out forsome new design ideas.

IT’S ALL CHANGE AT PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY. As a fewsenior members of staff move on to new endeavours, othersof us have moved in to fill their shoes. So it only seemed aptthat this month’s content should be about inspiring us all to trynew things.It can be hard to break from routine, though. There are the

small bad habits, like forgetting to check your horizon is straightor, as is my vice, deleting pictures too quickly. But, with a bit ofdiligence, these are easy enough to break. The real challenge is tosee pictures where you didn’t before.

To help you along this path we have found 30 inspiring photo projects (page 27) by30 talented photographers who realised one day that they had become rather boredwith what they were shooting and wanted to try something new.Or perhaps you could use the expert advice in our article on shooting interior portraits

(page 39) to try posing your subjects in the context of their own environment.Finally, if you’ve been waiting for the sun this summer: stop. Take a look at our

in-depth buying guide to the best kit for bad weather (page 67). We’ve rounded upeverything you need to protect you and your gear from the elements so you canconfidently venture outside and use the rain and dark clouds for dramatic effect.Most importantly, have fun. If there’s anything we want to inspire you to do, it’s that! PM

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Jeff MeyerEditor, Photography Monthly

PM_SEPT_WELCOMEv2:Layout 1 26/07/2011 17:48 Page 3

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[4] PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY SEPTEMBER 2011

CONTENTSPHOTOTECHNIQUES27-3730 DAYS – 30 PROJECTSBe inspired with one new photo project ideafor every day of September

39-45 INTERIOR PORTRAITSLearn pro techniques for using studio andavailable light when shooting indoors

48-49 NEW SERIES – HOW TOPHOTOGRAPH...Find out how to stay safe during a riot

51-55 NEW SERIES – WILD BRITAINRediscover Britain’s best – and oft-overlooked –wildlife. This month: our 600 species of spiders

57-61 EVOLUTION OF A PHOTO ESSAYFrom idea to editing: learn how to plan andexecute a compelling picture story

64-66 5 MINUTES WITH...Pro Philip Volkers reveals how he shot acampaign for Olympus using the PEN E-PL2

67-78 BUYERS’ GUIDE: PREPARING FORBAD WEATHEROur guide to the best kit for keeping you andyour gear safe from the elements

80-83 PET PHOTOGRAPHYRead a pro’s top tips for taking animalportraits with personality

87-92 BRIAN DUFFY: THE LOST PICTURESThe legendary photographer’s son, Chris, tellsus how he recovered his father’s lost archive

94-98 THE FUJI X100 – IS IT WORTH IT?We ask a top street photographer for his verdict

COVER IMAGEThornwick Bay, Flamborough Heritage HeadlandCoast, taken by Lee Beel, using a Canon EOS 5DMk II and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens

GOONLINEUpload your own frontcover submission atwww.photographymonthly.com

Page 104

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REGULARS3 &6 MEET THE PM TEAMThe faces behind the names in this month’s issueand a welcome from new PM Editor Jeff Meyer

8 THE GREAT BRITISH LANDSCAPECelebrating the UK’s most stunning photo locations

11-12 PHOTOMONTHWe round up the latest exhibitions, books and newsfrom those making images

17-23 GALLERYAmazing pictures by Photography Monthly readers

84-85 READERS’ CHALLENGEWin great prizes by uploading your images to thegallery. This month – pets

130 F STOPDavid Ward discusses quantity versus quality

PHOTO GEAR102 NEW KIT ON THE BLOCKGo here for all the latest product announcements

104-111 HEAD TO HEAD: CANON EOS 600DVS NIKON D5100We put the latest upper entry-level DSLRs from

Nikon and Canon through their paces

112-116 SAVE, SPEND & SPLURGEDo more with your images, with printing optionsranging from budget to breaking the bank

GOONLINE

For great photographerinterviews visit

www.photographymonthly.com

WIN PRIZESDON’T MISS OUT – SEETHE COMPETITIONS ONPAGES 11, 15, 23, 63, 84

Page 39

PM_SEPT_CONTENTS:Layout 1 27/07/2011 17:33 Page 5


JEFF MEYER

PM TEAM

MEET THE EDITOR

“WHY DON’T YOU

STARTWITH A JOKE,”

my wife suggests,

probably in response

to my constant sighs

as I stare in anguish

at a blank screen on

which I should be

introducing myself to you all.

“A joke? Really?” I say. “Does anyone tell

jokes anymore?” It’s an honest question.

I can’t remember the last time someone sent

me a joke. It seems like anything humorous

we share these days is a link to someone

else’s snapshot or video. Not that there’s

anything wrong with that. The technological

age has changed the way in which we reveal

our humour, just as it has altered the way we

share and digest our pictures.

Some might say the joke is on me for

assuming the task of editing a magazine at a

time when every printed publication is facing

difficult challenges. However, I disagree. It is

true that many magazines are struggling, but

rather than signing their death certificate, it

seems to me a great opportunity to innovate.

After all, did Hollywood take down its sign

when the nascent television threatened its

popularity? We at PM understand the

challenges we’re all facing in these lean times,

and it’s our desire both to inspire and create

content that is relevant for you.

But before I digress, it’s probably time

I share a little of my own background. I am

interested in all genres of photography, but

mostly I like to shoot my local area and

people on the street; these days, though, my

favourite subjects are my two young boys.

Originally from the United States (I can

assure you PM will remain ‘z’ free!), I’ve been

working as a journalist for 16 years. I was a

staff photographer on a local newspaper

during the final days of film and a news editor

when some of the first digital images were

filed. We’ve all come a long way since then,

and I’m fascinated by where we’re heading.

This, to me, is the credo of our magazine.

It’s an honour to be editing a publication with

such a rich history as Photography Monthly,

and over the coming months we plan to bring

you content unlike any

other photography

magazine on the newsstand.

We want to bring you

closer to the experts and

pros, with more tips than a

New York waiter! We want to revolutionise the

way we think about and use cameras, starting

with modernised camera tests and advanced

techniques, as well as budget options to suit

your needs. Though I’m an American by birth,

I’m a fully licensed Brit now and we have

some fabulous wildlife, landscapes and photo

locations in this country. Let’s celebrate that.

More will be revealed in time, and I do hope

you enjoy what we plan to offer. I want us all

to rediscover the fun in being a photographer.

And now I’d like to end with a joke.

But rather than finish it, I’d like you to give

me the punchline. We’ll start a thread on our

Facebook page where you can go and post

your entry. We’ll publish some of the ones

that make our team laugh the most in the

next issue. So…

Two photographers walk into a bar… PM

Find us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/photographymonthly

A selection of images taken by Photography Monthly’s new Editor, Jeff Meyer; clockwise, from top left: Sunset outside St Ives, Cornwall – Samsung GX10, 18-55mm; My two sons.I waited patiently for them to make eye contact – Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1, 20mm pancake; Graphic shapes along the treetops of a country lane in Dorset – Samsung GX10,18-55mm; Normandy's pink granite coast, taken with my trusty superzoom compact – Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3; A family feeds the ducks at a local park – Nikon D90, 18-105mm.

JEFF

MEY

ER

PM_SEPT_MEET_JEFF:Layout 1 26/07/2011 17:59 Page 6

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Get yourlandscape photofeatured here.

Upload your Octoberlandscape to our

gallery at:www.photography

monthly.com

PM_SEPT_p8-9 reader lands:Layout 1 26/07/2011 17:32 Page 8

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ADAM SCOREY

INSPIRATION

SEPTEMBER

Southwold morning by Adam Scorey, Group Editor, Photography Monthly and Professional PhotographerThis shot was taken on the south side of Southwold Pier, Suffolk. It was an early-morning start, which includeda little light rain, but that soon cleared, leaving plenty of cloud to play with. So instead of shooting a beautiful,golden sunrise as I’d hoped, I dialled in a small aperture and added a Lee 0.9 ND grad filter to a Sony A700 tocreate a very long exposure. My plan was to blur and soften both the clouds and the sea for a more ethereal shot,with the Sunset filter adding a nice touch of colour to the scene.Sony A700 with 24-70mm f/2.8, at 24mm. Exposure: 5secs at f/20, ISO 100. PM

Celebrating our nation’s stunning panoramas as they change through the seasons

THE GREAT BRITISHLANDSCAPE

Southwold Pier,Suffolk

PM_SEPT_p8-9 reader lands:Layout 1 27/07/2011 08:25 Page 9

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THE PM TEAM

PHOTOMONTH

PHOTOMONTH LATEST NEWS

LANDSCAPE MASTERAT THE DOUBLEOne of the UK’s leading landscapephotographers, Joe Cornish, haspublished a new book entitledGallery. The 30cm x 30cmpublication features a selectionof his favourite images fromnorth-east England that have beenon show in the Joe Cornish Galleryin Northallerton, North Yorkshire,over the past 10 years.“Themes from nature are

never exhausted. Continuing todevelop a language of light andform that reveals the essence ofthe subject remains at the heart ofmy mission,” says Cornish.The book, priced at £37.50, plus£7.50 p&p, is available from thegallery by phoning 01609 777404or at www.joecornishgallery.co.ukA60-minute documentary filmgiving an insight into Cornish’swork is also released this autumn.The DVD, called With Landscape inMind, takes viewers on acoast-to-coast trip through theYorkshire Dales and the LakeDistrict, capturing the glorioussurroundings on the way.The film, produced byphotographic tours and workshopspecialist Light & Land, is priced at£20, plus £2 p&p, fromwww.withlandscapeinmind.com

WILDLIFE GETSON THE MOVEThe Veolia Environnement WildlifePhotographer of the Yearexhibition is being held at theNatural History Museum inLondon this autumn beforeembarking on its national andinternational tour.Considered the ‘Oscars’ of

nature photography, the annualcompetition receives entries fromgifted amateurs, talented youngphotographers and professionalsfrom all over the world.The exhibition comprises more

than 100 images celebrating thebeauty and magnificence ofnature. It runs from 21 October to11 March 2012 at the museum inCromwell Road, South KensingtonSW75BD. Tickets cost £8(concessions £4, families £21).www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto

NEW 3D AWARDS TAKEA GLOBAL VIEWThe World Photography Organisation has launched itsfirst global 3D awards for video and photography.The competitions will be part of the Sony WorldPhotography Awards and allow photographers andvideographers, both amateur and professional, the

chance to join the 3D revolution. Video and photographyin 3D are growing rapidly, with the technology allowingphotographers and artists to push their art forms furtherthan ever. The awards are free to enter and are openuntil4 January 2012, with the winners being announcednext April. www.worldphoto.org

The frozen moment

JOE

CORN

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YOUN

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10

WINa copy of With Landscape

in Mind online atwww.photography

monthly.com/competitions

PM_SEPT_PHOTOMONTH:Layout 1 27/07/2011 15:08 Page 11

THE PM TEAM

PHOTOMONTH

PHOTOMONTH LATEST NEWS


You can buy acurrent issue ofPhotographyMonthly orProfessionalPhotographerandpre-orderfuture editionsfrom our newwebsitewww.buyamag.co.ukPostage in the UK is free and bypre-ordering you’ll get your copybefore it goes on sale in the shops.

CHRIS BEETLES GALLERYPRESENTS STEVEMcCURRY RETROSPECTIVEA collection of American photojournalistSteve McCurry’s images is being showcasedby Chris Beetles Fine Photographs thisautumn. It is the first major exhibitionin London devoted to the photographer’swork and the 36 prints will include his mostcelebrated picture; Afghan Girl, a 1984portrait of a then-unidentified refugee,was first published on the cover of NationalGeographic magazine.McCurry’s ability to capture ‘the decisive

moment’ – Henri Cartier-Bresson’s famousgoal – has made him sought-after bypublications internationally. The Magnumphotographer has found inspiration all overthe world, but especially in South Asia, whichhe has visited more than 70 times, and itfeatures prominently in this retrospective.The exhibition runs from 7-24 September

at Chris Beetles Fine Photographs,3-5 Swallow Street, London W1B4DE.www.chrisbeetlesfinephotographs.com

SPORTING CHANCE OFPHOTOGRAPHIC GOLDAward-winningsportsphotographerAndy Hooperhas brought outa timely bookwith the LondonOlympics justa year away.

In Capturethe Moment:A PracticalGuide to SportsPhotography –London 2012 and Beyond, the chief sportsphotographer of the Daily Mail shareshis secrets and top tips. This lavishlyillustrated guide takes you through thetechniques and skills needed to capturegreat sporting moments.

The book also includes information onthe legalities of what can and cannot bephotographed – useful information for thoselucky enough to have a ticket for theGames next year.

Capture the Moment is published thismonth by Wiley, priced at £14.99.www.wiley.com

WINNERREADERS’CHALLENGE

For daily updates on news visit the websiteat www.photographymonthly.com

Dust stormRajasthan, India, 1983

STEV

EM

cCUR

RY

Rhodri Thomas for his image Never dare an ice cream man.

PM_SEPT_PHOTOMONTH:Layout 1 27/07/2011 17:17 Page 12

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PMON THE WEBGET MORE OF YOUR FAVOURITE MAGAZINE ONLINE AND JOIN OUR COMMUNITY AT WWW.PHOTOGRAPHYMONTHLY.COM

HIGHLIGHTSNEWS & REVIEWSStay up-to-date with all the latest photography news, including gear,exhibitions, books and much more.

TIPS & TECHNIQUESGet advice from the pros and master new techniques. We have covereda variety of features, from landscapes to street photography, and portraitsto wildlife; check it out.

VIDEO AND PODCASTEach month the Editor of Photography Monthly discusses the latest newsand developments from the world of photography. Guest speakerssometimes join the podcast to give further insights into their specialistarea. If you haven’t listened in yet, why not give the podcasts a try?They are also available on iTunes.

GALLERYEach month we trawl the gallery looking for inspirational images to featurein the next issue of the magazine and our bookazine World of Photography.For your chance to get published, upload your images today. We would alsolove to see your short films in our new dedicated section; we will highlightour favourites each month.

COMPETITIONSFor your chance to win fabulous prizes visit the competition section andenter today. It’s simple: answer the question and the winner will be drawnat random from the correct replies.

WAYSTO INTERACTFORUMJoin our forum community of like-minded people. Our philosophy issimple: ask each other anything and everything. This platform is forphotographers to help each other and for you to have your say aboutthe magazine.

FACEBOOKBecome a fan of the Photography Monthly Facebook page. We bring ourfans all the highlights from www.photographymonthly.com, plus otherphotography news from the web. http://forum.photographymonthly.com

TWITTERIf you are a Twitter user keep up to date with our latest news byfollowing us at: @Photomonthly

BUY ONLINEBUY SINGLE ISSUES OR SUBSCRIBE ONLINEYou can buy a current issue of Photography Monthly and our sister title,Professional Photographer, and pre-order future editions from our newwebsite, www.buyamag.co.uk. Postage in the UK is free and bypre-ordering you will get your copy before it goes on sale in the shops.


FROM THE FORUM:Each month we take a look at the hot topics

and discussions taking place on our forum:

Our new Group Editor, ADAM SCOREY, posted a question

to our readers: What would they like to see in the

magazine? Here are some of your responses:

BROWNIE: I’d like to see some sort of ‘challenges’ for

amateurs to use in order to further understand certain

aspects of photography. Give them a scenario and

some direction. Not so much competitions, but things

that enhance their own understanding of types of

photography/processing etc.

DATHERSMITH: A big part of any magazine for me is

the readers’ pictures as I see them as something that

I should be able to take myself and I get a lot of

inspiration and ideas from what I see. Likewise with

the associated magazine websites – I can spend a lot of

time looking at what has been uploaded and what has

been selected for praise or awards. Unfortunately, with

many sites the selection of images for mention (such

as Editor’s Choice) slips with time to the point where

I give up looking and move on to another site. Maybe

you could encourage the use of the online gallery by

picking a Photo of the Week and then publishing those

selected during the month in the next magazine, along

with a critique of why they were chosen.

GRAHAM: I would like to see the emphasis on

photography. Subject, composition, lighting, etc, vastly

outweigh what make, model, mode, etc, was used to

produce the pictures. Often, magazines will associate

a kit list with an image, which is intended to convey

quality, when the exposure data would be of far more

value to the readers.

NIKONDAVE: For me I’d like to see some pages

dedicated to images that came straight from the

camera, with minimal processing, which allows

more time to take pictures. I’m not saying the mag

should be all like this, just an article a month. A couple

of pages about getting the most from free software,

such as Picasa, would be useful to those new

to photography. So would homemade accessories,

thinking of the economic situation.

WIEBKES: I am missing stories from readers and their

pictures possibly showing how they (could have)

enhanced them – like those you would find in the mag

of December 2009.

Join the discussions each month on our

forum at www.photographymonthly.com

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DON’T MISS THIS FANTASTIC CHANCE TO WIN A SAMSUNG NX100 WITH PHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY

To become the lucky winner of this month’s competition and get your hands on arather nice new Samsung NX100, submit your image based on our ‘fun’ theme


� IF YOU LOVE YOUR PICTURES TO BE RELAXED, fun and to

capture the moment, and your camera to combine the size

and flexibility of a compact with the image quality of

a DSLR, then the Samsung NX100 is a perfect choice.

It has the same-sized APS-C image sensor found on much

larger cameras, as well as features that will help complete

beginners to get amazing pictures straight out of the box.

From the 14 Scene modes, including Children and Sunset, to

the in-camera image editing, seven Smart Filter modes and

seven Style Selector modes, the NX100 has something for

everyone, including a full Manual mode for when you want

complete creative control. There is also a complete system

backup, from a selection of lenses to accessories, including

flashguns and a GPS unit for Geotagging your images.

WIN!

COMPETITIONWIN A SAMSUNGNX100 CAMERAWORTH £380

HOW TO WINWe were inspired by

the whole ethos of

the NX100 and wanted

this to be reflected in

the subject of our

competition. We have

come up with a picture-based competition on the theme of fun. We want

you to interpret this as widely and creatively as possible: from children

to pets, from wildlife to a candid shot on the street. Then upload your

best single image that sums up this feeling.

The deadline for entries is 12 September 2011.

HOW TO ENTERSimply go online to our website www.photographymonthly.com, click on

the Competitions tab at the top and upload your ‘fun’ image. If you are

not a member of our website, it’s free to join in just a few simple clicks,

so why not do it now?

STREET PRICE: £380MEGAPIXELS: 14.6ISO RANGE: 100-6400 with AutoSHOOTING SPEED: 3fps stillsHD MOVIES: 1,280 x 720 / 30fps moviesDISPLAY: 3in AMOLEDFOCUSING: Up to 35 points with Face DetectionDUST REDUCTION: Built-inSTORAGE: SD and SDHC cards

SAMSUNG NX100 www.samsung.com/uk

PM_NX100_COMP:Layout 1 27/07/2011 16:25 Page 15

SafariReady for everything.

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READERS’GALLERYUpload your images to www.photographymonthly.com, we choose the best and publish them the following month.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

From its diminishing perspective andtextures to its incredible dynamic range,Simon’s image takes a classic British sceneand gives it a grittier, darker mood. Often wesee this subject depicted in black and white,but his heavy red and blue tones showthat there is always a new way to interpretsomething familiar. Well done.

Jeff Meyer, Editor

IMAGE OF THE MONTH

Simon BullBeneath the pier

Nikon D80Tokina 12-24mm

PM_SEPT_GALLERY:Layout 1 27/07/2011 16:16 Page 17


Jacob TylerStorm brewing

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS20x optical zoom 5.0-100mm

Mads C ForchhammerMerged

Nikon D70sNikkor 18-70mm

Chris OgdenOver Greenland

Fujifilm FinePix A8008-24mm


www.downmagaz.com



Zoritza WilliamsAfter the stormCanon EOS 20D

Canon 28-135mm

Shane McMahonRussian train set

Canon EOS 7DCanon 17-40mm

READERS’ GALLERY



Martin RobinsonUllswater

Canon EOS-1Ds Mk IICanon 24-105mm

David HearneRaccoons

Olympus E-50040-150mm


www.downmagaz.com


Ian PettigrewHook

Leica X1Leica Elmarit 24mm

Lucie AverillCastle walkwayCanon EOS 7D

Canon 17-55mm

READERS’ GALLERY


David DeanDecemberNikon D60

Nikkor 16-85mm VR

Froilan AbalosFishing man 2Nikon D5000

18-55mm


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IF YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR IMAGESIN THE MAGAZINE and to havethe opportunity to win an 8GB LexarProfessional memory card andreader, visitwww.photographymonthly.com andupload your favourite images. We willchoose the best work uploaded each monthfor inclusion in the magazine, and the Editor’s Choice willwin a card and reader. SD or CF, the choice is yours.

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TECHNIQUESPHOTOGRAPHERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD SHARE THEIR TIPS TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE

This is where you will find technicaladvice and inspiration to help youbecome the photographer you wantto be. Each month we speak tophotographers at the top of theirfield and ask them to pass on theknowledge you need to shoot inoften difficult technical situations

IN THIS SECTION27-37 30 DAYS – 30 PROJECTSRachael D’Cruze reveals 30 inspiring photoprojects for September

39-45 INTERIOR PORTRAITSKarl Shaw shows how to use studio andavailable light when shooting indoors

57-61 PLANNING A PHOTO ESSAYDamian Drohan explains how to plan andexecute a compelling picture story

80-83 PHOTOGRAPHING PETSPaul Walker shares his secrets for capturinganimal portraits with personality

And much more inside...

GOONLINEFor more techniques

and advice visitwww.photographymonthly.com

KARL

SHAW

PM_SEPT_TECHNQ_COVER:Layout 1 27/07/2011 14:08 Page 25

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RACHAEL D’CRUZE

TECHNIQUES

30 PHOTO PROJECTS


30 PROJECTSIN 30 DAYS...ndertaking photography projects is a great way to make sure

you always have something to shoot and concentrate on,

so you’re constantly developing your skills, rather than

editing old pictures and feeling uninspired. Projects make you

a better photographer because they force you to get out there with

your camera, come rain or shine, which can only be a good thing.

Some projects can last for years, while others will take only a week,

or even a day; choose a few which appeal to you and see your

creativity and inspiration levels soar. Don’t be afraid to quit a project

if you’re not enjoying it, though; they’re supposed to be fun, not

a hardship to endure – you’re better off starting something more

suitable than becoming disenchanted. We’ve compiled 30 tried and

tested projects, one for every day of September, which should see

you occupied for quite some time… �

Try something new every day of September, as RACHAEL D’CRUZE suggests30 photographic projects to get your creative juices flowing

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

24 2519 20 21 22 23

26 27 28 29 30

U

SE P T E M B E R 2 0 1 1

PM_SEPT_30_TECHQN V2:Layout 1 25/07/2011 13:30 Page 27


Our urban spaces come to life after dark and make great material fora photography project. Just like an avid clubber, you need to free sometime after dark during your weekends to photograph the mayhem on ourstreets. You will get the best images from inner-city areas, after 1am. It’sstreet photography for the taking, with a constant supply of interesting,often inebriated characters. Hens, stags, arguments and kebabs – expecta visually arresting project.

There is probably a wealth of photographic opportunity in your local areathat you have never explored. Undertaking an environmental portraitproject will certainly change this – pick a specific theme, such as work,leisure, or living spaces, and go from there. Word will soon spread and youwill be surprised at how many people are open to being photographed andhow many new faces you will meet.Photographer Matt Thompson’s series, I Live Here, is a photo documentaryof Londoners from all walks of life photographed at home.

Many photographers find themselves inspired when they travel, but stuckin a photographic rut when they’re at home, finding it difficult to getmotivated. Setting yourself a home town photography project is a greatidea because it forces you to rethink and revisit your local area, lookingfor new perspectives: you will be surprised at what you have beenmissing out on.Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York began as a multi-year project toconstruct a photographic census of the city of New York.

If you have successfully completed a strong photo project, or havea body of work that you feel is strong enough, why not make organisingan exhibition your next venture? Staging a show involves a lot of work,from finding the right location, to printing, framing, pricing andadvertising. A private view is a great idea, where you can invite friends,family and people who may have modelled for you or helped in someother way.

LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITS

www.mattthompson.co.uk

MATTTHOMPSON

NIGHT LIFE

www.maciejdakowicz.com

MAC

IEJ

DAKO

WIC

Z

HOME TOWN

www.humansofnewyork.com

BRAN

DON

STAN

TON

EXHIBITION

www.markcareyphotography.com

MAR

KCA

REY


www.downmagaz.com



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CREATIVE SELF-PORTRAITS

www.glyndavies.com

www.flavitavalsani.com

WINDOWS AND DOORS

Windows and doors are everywhere; they are so much part of our dailylives that we take them for granted. Choose these openings as a photoproject, however, and you will soon see the interesting and unusualjumping out at you. Peeling paint, smashed glass, ornate door knockersand wonderful window boxes – this project is sure to yield a great setof photographs and is something that will improve with time. Thefurther that you travel, the more interesting and diverse your projectwill become.Flavita Valsani has been documenting doors since she was 16 years oldand is attracted by the possibilities hidden behind them and the ideathat in some way doors contain a personality.

Watch the world change throughout the year with your photographs.Find a location near to home, so you can go regularly and capturethe changes. Of course, that means the four seasons, but think alsoabout different times of day, varying weather and so on. Keep theproject going for as long as it holds your attention, but do it for at leasta year to build up a diverse set of pictures for your portfolio.Glyn Davies has been visiting a small stretch of coast from Porth Noblabeach to Rhosneigr, on the west coast of Anglesey, for 15 years.

If you would like to improve your portrait photography skills but arelacking confidence in directing other people, a self-portraiture projectis a great idea. It will allow you to get really creative and hone yourskills without worrying about other people and how long you take onyour images. Set yourself a regular slot for taking a self-portrait,be it every day, or once a week. Be imaginative with both props andyour editing, and prepare to impress yourself.Dominick Reed’s creative self-portraiture has a cult internet followingand centres on Mr Flibble, a character that he has created through hisportraits, which all started with a 1/365 project.

FLAV

ITA

VALS

ANI

GLYN

DAVI

ESDO

MIN

ICK

REED

THROUGH THE SEASONS

Find something going on locally that interests you, but that you aren’tinvolved with yourself and document it regularly. This could be anythingfrom dinner dances to five-a-side football matches – the key is to picksomething that will hold your interest and often this means somethingslightly alien to you. Introduce yourself to those involved and makea date to go regularly and show them your images. This type of projectmakes great material for a local exhibition.Brad Wakefield describes his project, documenting Clevedon Open WaterSwimming Club, in Somerset, as driven by admiration for the group,whose members come together and share something exhilarating.

CONTINUING DOCUMENTARY

www.thebppa.com/Brad-Wakefield

BRAD

WAK

EFIE

LD

TECHNIQUES

RACHAEL D’CRUZE30 PHOTO PROJECTS


FAMILY

www.photoposy.com

URBAN ANGLES

www.holtermand.dk

Choose modern architecture as a project to shoot overa month or more. Look out for the clean, graphic lines andbright colours in our towns and cities. Use a long lens to getclose, so as to isolate unusual angles and create interestingabstracts. Try shooting from unusual perspectives too –don’t be afraid to get on the floor for more dynamic pictures.

KIM

HØLT

ERM

AND


Most of us have family – however big, small, or complicated – so why notmake it the subject of a project? You could document the life of yourimmediate loved ones, how you communicate with distant relatives, or evensomeone else’s family instead. Families make great subjects because of thediverse ages, the bonds that develop between individuals and the dynamicsand interactions that exist. This is a project you could pursue indefinitelyand one that will attract everyone’s interest.

FROM THE HIP

www.erickimphotography.com

ERIC

KIM

Shooting from the hip is a great technique and, if you have nevertried it, makes a great basis for a street photography project.With your camera at waist level, you shoot upwards, withoutlooking through the viewfinder – so your subjects don’t knowthey are being photographed and you are rewarded withgenuinely candid photographs of people, with the bonus of aninteresting perspective. Make a date with your hip and thestreet at least once a week, or shoot daily on your way to work.

POSY

QUAR

TERM

ANPH

OTOG

RAPH

Y


www.downmagaz.com


TECHNIQUES


Make a pact with yourself to take one pictureevery day for an entire year and find yourselfa much more creative and focused photographerat the end of it. Taking one photograph a day maynot sound like much, but it forces you to trainyour eye to look constantly for subject matter,regardless of where you are and what gear youhave got with you.Natural world and wedding photographer StephenMcCurry set himself the task of taking at least onegood photographic image a day for a year.

1/365

STEP

HEN

McC

URRY

www.notofthisearth.co.uk

From house addresses to credit card bills, numbers infiltrate our daily lives, soa numbers photography project is a good choice if you’re looking to increasethe frames you’re shooting each week. Rather than shooting any old numbers, tryto make your way from 1-100. Don’t be afraid to get creative and make some of thenumber formations yourself – the only limit is your imagination.

Traditional photobooks will always have their place, but withnew technology, and the Apple iPad in particular, there is nowa demand for photography e-books. Make one using your bestportfolio images, or a photo project, and get to grips with thenew platform. It will be a valuable and portable marketing toolfor your work too. Your e-book should be available as a PDFand you can investigate selling it through the Amazon Kindlenetwork and Apple’s iBook website.With more than a dozen books to his name, Jason Friend won’t beabandoning traditional publishing, but he has completed his firste-book, Black Light, containing his favourite monochrome imagesfrom the past 15 years.Photography Monthly readers can pre-order copies of BlackLight for £1.25 (half the normal price) by going to the link belowand entering PM50BL during the checkout process.

NUMBERS

www.arjanbenning.com

ARJA

NBE

NNIN

G

MAKE AN E-BOOK

JASO

NFR

IEND

www.jasonfriend.co.uk/blacklight



www.africancolours.com

STRANGERS

www.sneakylittlefox.tumblr.com

A DAY IN THE LIFE

www.irinawerning.com


The British fascination with body art has never been so strong, with tattoo and piercingparlours everywhere, and an estimated one-third of young people having some ink on theirbodies. Body art is incredibly expressive and therefore lends itself perfectly to photography.If this project interests you, you will find that the word will soon spread about your work andyou will have lots of people willing to pose, in return for a photo. Documenting tattooparlours, or tattooists themselves, are also great ideas with lots of mileage.

If you are feeling brave, embark on a street photography project, which will see you approachand photograph interesting-looking strangers – a challenge for both your photographic andpeople skills. You will need to be prepared for some rejection and to teach yourself to workquickly, as most people you encounter are likely to be busy. Challenge yourself to shoot ahundred strangers and your work will improve dramatically.

When you’ve got a free day that you can devote to photographyconsider doing a day-in-the-life project. This means documenting anentire day – either in your life, or that of someone else; in which casethe possibilities are endless and you could turn it into a series.Consider thinking outside the box slightly – a day in the life of a busstop anyone?Buenos Aires born photographer Irina Werning has documented a day inthe life of her ‘muse’: Chini, a Chinese crested dog.

IRIN

AW

ERNI

NG

CRAI

GBU

SH

CITY SWAPAL

OVER

DRIV

E

Get out of your comfort zone and documentlife somewhere drastically different. Thiscould mean travelling to the other side ofthe world, but the UK is so economicallyand socially diverse that you needn’t go farto be in an unfamiliar place. You could catcha train to Chelsea or Hackney in Londonfor the day and come away with a great setof photos from each location, as yourespond to the challenge of capturing theunfamiliar. Sometimes, in our own towns,we become blind to the photo opportunitiesaround us, as we consider our everydayexperience to be ‘normal’.Oliver Dowdle, from Mangaung, South Africa,and Jonas Posman, from Ghent, Belgium,visited one another’s cities for a month andthe resulting portrait of two urban areasthrough the eyes of an outsider was shownin an exhibition called Yebo/Yes.

www.al-overdrive.com

BODYART

OLIV

ERDO

WDL

E

RACHAEL D’CRUZE

TECHNIQUES

30 PHOTO PROJECTS


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Documenting the weather is an excellent photo project because itprovides plenty of chances to create a strong mood within your images.This project will get you out in the field in all conditions, particularlyin the rain, because bad weather actually provides a wealth of photoopportunities that are often overlooked: people huddled togetherunder umbrellas, dramatic clouds just before a storm and, of course,exciting lightning formations. To get started, previsualise the photosyou want to take, write a list and go from there.

Dedicate some time to making a photobook containing somefavourite images, or the cream of a recent project.Companies such as Blurb make self-publishing easy – youcan get away from tacky templates and make stylish,professional-looking photobooks with a little time and effort.It’s a great feeling making a book, knowing it’s all your ownwork, from taking the pictures to taking control of the pacing,design and layout. Photobooks make great gifts too.Sam Cornwell has just published a book through Blurb, My OtherCamera is an iPhone, which is now available to buy in the Blurbstore, www.blurb.com/books/2217217

Most of us have a 50mm lens in our kit bags and Project 50 willencourage you to make the most of it and enhance your creativity.Challenge yourself to shoot only with your 50mm for 50 days andproduce 50 photos. Shooting with a fixed focal length lens requiresyou to do more of the work, rather than relying on your zoom –a great exercise.

www.markhumpage.com

WEATHER

www.fiftyoffifty.co.uk / www.ricknunn.com

PROJECT 50

www.archedroof.co.uk

SELF-PUBLISH

www.fidoloves.com / www.jaystebbins.com

DOGS

If our four-legged friends are good enough subjects for Magnumdocumentary photographer Elliott Erwitt, they’re good enoughfor us. Dogs make a great theme for a photo project, as they havea central role in so many people’s lives and are incredibly variedin both looks and personality. Start this project and watch it growmore quickly than you could ever imagine.Photographer Jay Stebbins is doing a continuing project aboutpeople living with their dogs in Boston, Massachusetts.

MAR

KHU

MPA

GERI

CKNU

NN

SAM

CORN

WEL

LJA

YST

EBBI

NS


www.downmagaz.com


www.hoursofdarkness.com

NIGHT

www.chromasia.com

www.briancaissie.com

STREETSPORTS


Skateboarding, BMX, extreme scootering and parkour/freerunning areall thriving on the streets and parks of Britain, and make brillianttopics for a photography project. You will find plenty of willingsubjects at skateparks and your project will grow from there.Photographing action sports is exhilarating and will provide somedynamic shots for your portfolio.

An odd shoe in the park, a washed-up car tyre on the beach ora discarded and faded drinks can: they all make great subjects fora lost-and-found photography project. Another advantage is thatit gets you out and about looking for subjects and means you don’thave to live somewhere visually arresting to create great pictures.

If you are always complaining that there aren’t enough hours in theday, or that you wish you had more time to devote to yourphotography, then undertaking a night project might just fit the bill.Night photography will challenge you technically and offers differentpossibilities to daytime shooting: the stillness and emptiness lendthemselves to slightly eerie compositions. You will soon be thinkingof many places you want to explore in the dark.

BRIA

NCA

ISSI

EDA

VID

J.NI

GHTI

NGAL

EJA

SON

KRIE

GER

LOSTAND FOUND

Do you feel like embarking on a project that is a little different?Light graffiti is great for getting the creative juices flowing and isalso suitable for people who work long hours during the day, becauseyou create your images under the cover of darkness. Torches withcoloured gels, combined with long exposures and a vivid imagination,are all you need. Take photos every week and watch your aptitude forlight photography grow.

www.michaelbosanko.com

LIGHTGRAFFITI

MIC

HAEL

BOSA

NKO

TECHNIQUES




If there is a social issue you feel strongly about, or want to explore,centring a photo project on it will engage you and make it personallyfulfilling. The key to a successful project like this is being honest aboutyour work, so people don’t feel you are taking advantage of them.Start with an open mind and you might be surprised at what you find out.

Thomas Hawk started his $2 Portraits Project in San Francisco “toincrease human interaction” after realising he was being too aggressivewith people in the street who begged him for money. He decided tochange his behaviour. Rather than giving people money, he suggesteda simple exchange: if they posed for a portrait, he would give them $2.

Do you need a simple project to focus your attention, but onethat has lots of scope? Choose to illustrate the alphabet andinterpret it in any way you wish – photograph somethingbeginning with each letter, hunt out letters themselves in oursurroundings, or make the shape of letters with props. You willbe constantly scanning your surroundings for photographicopportunities, which will improve your eye for the best images.

Photographer James Berry shot the alphabet with music asa theme and included his daughter in every shot.

ALPHABET

JAM

ESBE

RRY

www.mrnovemberphotography.co.uk

SOCIAL ISSUES

www.thomashawk.com

THOM

ASHA

WK

NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN YOU SIT AT HOME. I ALWAYS MAKE IT A POINTTO CARRY A CAMERA WITH ME AT ALL TIMES… I JUST SHOOT AT WHATINTERESTS ME AT THAT MOMENT. ELLIOTT ERWITT


www.downmagaz.com


www.kellianderson.com

AN UNNATURAL ELEMENT

www.karissacarlson.com

FAIRY TALES


SHAREYOURWORK

To get feedback on your project, you’llundoubtedly want to share it online.Creating a professional but simple blog is

easy with WordPress, which also populatesyour Facebook and Twitter pages when youpost new work. Flickr, of course, is anothergreat way to share images. But the best?Photography Monthly’s website, of course! PM

Sometimes all you need is a little narrative to be inspired. If youare interested in portraiture but are stuck for ideas, starta project re-creating scenes from fairy tales or subjects frommythology. Costumes and props are important here and editingcreatively can really help your pictures to come alive. Startresearching stories you want to re-create, plan locations andprops, recruit some willing models and get shooting.

Buy something modern, then photograph the object in a series ofnatural landscapes where it is out of place, to create a surreal seriesof photographs. This is a nice concept for a project and you will soonfind no shortage of situations and scenarios for your ‘alien’.Photographer Kelli Anderson’s cube project involves her shootinga mirrored cube which, despite the camouflage effect given off byits mirrored surfaces, doesn’t fit anywhere.

KARI

SSA

CARL

SON

KELL

IAND

ERSO

N

TECHNIQUES


GOONLINEFor more advice and

techniques from the prosvisit the website atwww.photographymonthly.com


creative freedom without compromise

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SEEINGTHEKarl Shaw, a professionalportrait photographer, and

contributor to PM’s sister title,Professional Photographer,

shows us some of the lightingtechniques he uses, for both

studio and available light, whenhe is capturing indoor portraits

WORDS AND PICTURES BYKARL SHAWLIGHT


KARL SHAW

TECHNIQUES

INDOOR PORTRAITS

(AVAILABLE)

PM_SEPT_INT_PORTRAITSv2:Layout 1 26/07/2011 16:16 Page 39


INE TIMES OUT OF 10 if I’m askedto shoot an indoor portraitI’ll reach for my studio lights

or Speedlight; after all, isn’t that thebest way?

It’s always tempting to employ ourtried and tested methods of getting thedesired results; we’re in our comfort zone,we know what we’re doing as we’ve doneit a thousand times before without anyslip-ups and with, hopefully, some level ofsuccess. So why would we do anythingdifferent? Now, my usual approach whenit comes to shooting portraits, or peoplein general, is to establish what sort of lookmy ‘sitter’ wants: light and airy high-key,moody low-key, or something weird andwonderful that will require dusting off mythinking cap.

Of course, there are other elementsthat need to be considered that I’m surewe’re all aware of, but for now let’simagine that we no longer have theluxury of studio lights and that even ourSpeedlights have bitten the dust, but westill have to nail the shot. A tall order?Well, yes and no. Yes, in as much as thehigh-key option is probably out of thewindow; after all, a white backgroundwon’t photograph white unless it’s lit– tricky if we’re bereft of any means ofillumination. Yes again if we want to getclever with lighting patterns – butterfly,split etc – but no if we want to simplifyand get back to basics, to the actualpicture-taking process, without worryingabout lighting ratios, fill lights, hair lightsand all the rigmarole surrounding portraitphotography. Don’t get me wrong, I loveall the techie stuff; the born worrier in melikes being tied in knots, concerningmyself with whether this light is doing itsjob, or that light is suitably diffused, orwhether the background is lit or not,according to taste.

So out go the brollies and softboxesand in come the daylight, reflectors andany other form of lighting that comes tohand; after all, we will need some wayof lighting our subject when MotherNature decides that we’ve had enoughof that scarce commodity we call sunlight.Even shooting in sunlight is not exactlyproblem free. Yes, we have all the light weneed, but there are so many variables, somany ways to catch us out. At least withstudio lights we get a constant – evenSpeedlights have been known to behaveon occasion – but sunlight has the �

N


www.downmagaz.com



KARL SHAW

TECHNIQUES

INDOOR PORTRAITS


I ALWAYS TRY TO LIGHT THESUBJECT USING THE LIGHTFROM A WINDOW, UNLESS I’MOUT OF SUNLIGHT HOURS,IN WHICH CASE I’LL SWITCHON THE ROOM LIGHTS ANDTAKE IT FROM THERE.


uncanny knack of never being in the rightplace at the right time: too harsh, toocontrasting, too high or the reverse ofthese three points. It’s up to us asphotographers to work with the best we’vegot. If the sun is glaring down, creatinghorrid, harsh shadows, the answer is todiffuse it, soften it; we’re not reinventingthe wheel. Think about how we diffuse astudio light or Speedlight: we put someform of diffusion over the front in the formof a piece of material or lump of opaqueplastic which softens the intensity of theflash. That’s all we’re doing, albeit tothe largest light of them all – the sun.On cloudy days, when the sun is nicelydiffused, we may need to add a reflector orwhite card into the mix to try to intensifythe light and bounce some sunlight backinto our subject – it’s all about shaping andusing the light for our own gain rather thanseeing it as a stumbling block. Take a studiolight or flash outdoors and the creativepossibilities are endless.

� It’s good practice to have your highlight clipping warningselected to avoid any nasty burn-out on skin areas.

All these points may seem obvious, butwe’ve all seen holiday snaps where thesubject is squinting into the lens with thesun beating down from behind the persontaking the photograph, creating intenseshadows and horrible dark patches thateven hours in Photoshop couldn’t rescue.This isn’t rocket science – look directly intothe sun and your eyes are going to narrow,you’re not exactly going to look your best.Even worse, turn slightly and suddenly theshadow from your nose resembles a hugeshark fin cascading down your cheek, whichin my eyes is never attractive.Now, where’s all this going? What’s the

point of these rants? I’m basically setting ascene, refreshing our memories as to whatour goal is as a portrait photographer.What do we want to achieve when we takesomeone’s photograph? I’ve alwaysbelieved that, no matter what happens, ourjob is to make the subject – whether that’sa friend, relative or someone who is payingyou to press the shutter – look as good �

Obviously compacts have their strengthsand weaknesses, just like any camerasystem. You wouldn’t want to cart a NikonD3S around with you on holiday for theodd snap, in the same way you wouldn’tautomatically think of picking up acompact to head into the studio.Even the new breed of CSC cameras

are not top of the list when it comes toportraits, despite the fact that the newPanasonic Lumix DMC-G3 I used,alongside the Nikon COOLPIX S8000,has all the manual controls and studioflash triggering abilities you need.

NO DSLR NEEDED!


www.downmagaz.com


I decided to use Nikon’s S8000 like a compactcamera ought to be used – turn on, point, thenshoot. No fuss, no drama, no metering woes orlighting issues, just to see what can be achieved.With the Nikon in full automatic mode,

including ISO, my hopes were not exactly high,especially with the camera deciding that an ISOof 800 would be needed. I did cheat slightly bydisabling the pop-up flash and using a handheldreflector to the right of camera to bounce someavailable light into the shadow side of themodel’s face.The slight delay after the shutter being

pressed before the picture-taking process beginsis a little disconcerting but I couldn’t arguewith the result. The little Nikon had done aremarkable job of recording exactly what wasin front of the lens.Okay, the sharpening is a tad harsh for my

liking and the skin tones are a little warm but I’mbeing really picky. The freedom that comes withjust ‘snapping away’ is quite addictive and if youtake the time to make sure your subject is nicelypositioned with lovely diffused light, you’ll besurprised by the results. I know I was.

The Panasonic G3 has all the automatic modesof a compact and then some, with all theadjustability and customisation you could everwant. The rotating, twisting, touch-sensitive LEDscreen is a joy – not as slick in operation as say,an iPhone, but still clear and easy to use.The electronic viewfinder takes a bit of gettingused to but does have the ability to display ahistogram over the scene. The Nikon compact(see below) has taken care of shooting in fullyautomatic so I thought I would see what thePanasonic could produce in full manual mode.I must admit to feeling more at home setting

the camera myself and moving away from auto– rightly or wrongly, it seems more controllable.Moving the rear dial adjusts the aperture.Clicking the same rear dial changes the use tocontrol the shutter speed – line up the marksthat indicate a correct exposure for the scene,press the shutter and a second later a perfectlyexposed image appears on the LED screen.Back on the computer the image from the

Panasonic is cleaner and with less artefacts thanthe compact, but that’s to be expected. Both doa brilliant job at what they are designed for;the Panasonic being less ‘snappy’ and morecontrollable and, in some ways, moreprofessional than the compact – but again, that’sto be expected. The G3 is the best of both worlds– fully manual for when you require a DSLR andfully automatic for when you need a snappycompact. Brilliant!

PANASONIC LUMIX G3

NIKON COOLPIX S8000


KARL SHAW

TECHNIQUES

INDOOR PORTRAITS



� With one light source, in this case sunlight, giving quite acontrasty feel, it’s important to record information in boththe shadow and the highlight areas.

For more tips and techniques visit our websitewww.photographymonthly.com

as possible in the photograph. Nothing more,nothing less.It’s important to keep this in mind because

it will cut down on a lot of the ‘if only’ shots.You know the ones I mean: if only I’d noticedhis tie was crooked, if only that stray hairwasn’t in her eyes, if only that plant wasn’tgrowing out the top of his head. There areendless ‘if only’ pictures that I’ve looked backon over the years, cursing myself for notspotting the obvious. But we live and learnand the more we go into a portrait sessiontrying to eradicate silly schoolboy errors themore keepers we get.Back to the job in hand. The first thing

I do when arriving for a shoot is head for

the windows. I always try to light the subjectusing the light from a window, unless I’mout of sunlight hours, in which case I’ll switchon the room lights and take it from there.You’ll be surprised how dark a room can bewhen there’s no daylight streaming in.You can also get white balance issues whenusing domestic light. If you’re shootingRAW, and I suggest you do, then this is notan issue. If you’re shooting JPEG make sureyou switch your white balance to tungsten– you’ll see the difference on the back of yourcamera after the first shot.Ideally I’ll place the subject so that they

are lit by the window light in exactly thesame way that I’d use a softbox. If I need a

touch of fill light on the shadow side I use areflector. The beauty of using a reflector with acontinuous light source rather than a flash is thatyou can see instantly the amount of reflected lightand adjust the position accordingly. It’s a goodidea to use a fairly wide aperture; in addition toletting in more light it does a nice job of blurringany background distractions. To take full controlI shoot in manual mode, mainly because whenfiring studio lights that’s the only option.With available or ambient light I follow the sameroutine day in, day out. I pretty much know thatI want a wide aperture, say f/4 to f/5.6, which Iset, spot meter just below the subject’s eye, dial inthe indicated shutter speed and go from there,adjusting the shutter to under or overexposedepending on the effect I’m after. I find this muchmore intuitive than using one of the prioritysettings where you have to dial in plus or minusexposure compensation.That’s pretty much what I do for every portrait,

whether shot near a window or a lamp. The onlything to watch is that your shutter speed is fastenough to handhold; increasing the ISO to400or 800 will usually do the trick. As for lenses,pretty much anything will do if you follow a fewcommon sense rules. It’s always better to adoptthe step back, zoom in approach when shootingportraits, rather than the zoom out, step in,because you will avoid any nasty facial distortionwhen shooting at a wide angle. Be careful if you’reusing lenses with a floating aperture. Rememberthat with fixed-aperture lenses, if you set yourmaximum aperture at the shot end and zoom in,that aperture will change and throw yourmetering out; something that’s only too easy tooverlook in the heat of the moment. PM


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Using available light from a windowis all well and good during daylighthours, but when things get a littledark you can still achieve stunningresults without resorting to flash.Continuous lights can be picked upquite cheaply from DIY stores andbecause they are continuous thereare no flash settings to worry about,with the same method of meteringbeing employed as you would withwindow light.

Again, because the light is aconstant you can see the effect anyform of modifier has immediately,such as shooting through a venetianblind or attaching card to form barndoors to flag the light and controlthe beam. You can also be creativewith your white balance – choosingtungsten to cool things down andthe daylight or flash setting to addsome warmth.

CONTINUOUS LIGHT

KARL SHAW

TECHNIQUES

INDOOR PORTRAITS


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CATH

ALM

cNAU

GHTO

N

Every 12 July, the Loyalist Orange Order takes to the streets of Northern Irelandto mark the victory of the future King William III over the Catholic King James II in 1690.

And every 12 July, CATHAL McNAUGHTON photographs the tension between theProtestant and Catholic communities, which can descend into violence.

In the first of a new series on photographing unusual situations, Cathal explains howto stay safe and get the necessary shots when you find yourself in the middle of a riot

...A RIOT

PM: How long have you been photographing theOrange parades?

I’ve been shooting the Orange parades for 16years, give or take the odd year when I’ve hadanother assignment. The problem is there isalways the potential for trouble. At the startof the day you never know what time you willfinish or if the job will run on for a few days.In the past two or three years the trouble hasreally escalated.

PM: How do you plan where to be along the route?There is a formula to these events that youeventually figure out. In the last two or threeyears there has been one contentious paradethat goes through Ardoyne, which is a largelyCatholic, nationalist district in north Belfast.Because of this, it is often the starting pointfor any trouble, because the residentsaren’t happy about the Protestant Orangemenmarching so close to their homes.

I aim to get to Ardoyne for 7.30am andpark my car in a safe area before the roadsare blocked off by police. At this pointI prepare myself for any trouble, but often thisprocession passes off fairly quietly.

Despite the obvious potential for conflict,people are more relaxed in the morning.They may be in bed or having their breakfastat 8am – it’s easier to ignore [the parade].

If nothing happens, I’ll then go elsewherein Belfast and photograph the paradeas normal, almost like a news feature. I lookfor pictures of people enjoying themselves.But all the while I’m careful to stay in thecentral Belfast area in case somethingkicks off at a parade elsewhere in NorthernIreland and I need to leave quickly.

Then in the early evening I go back toArdoyne to wait for the return leg of theparade. This is when most trouble tendsto happen. By the evening, people have hadall day to ‘celebrate’, so there is morepotential for trouble. And this has been thecase for the past three years.

Last year on 12 July, when these pictureswere taken, residents began blocking the roadand trouble ensued. Riot police got involvedto try to keep the two sides separate.People began throwing stones, and veryquickly it escalated into cars being hijackedand set on fire, petrol bombs and more.

PM: What goes through your mind when it kicks off?It’s important to try to stay calm, because youget caught up in the moment. Your instinctwhen adrenalin kicks in is to rush around andshoot lots of pictures. But then you’ll look atthe back of your camera and realise you don’thave anything good. So I make myself slowdown and remember to pick my shots. I haveto be quite clinical.

It’s hard, though, to avoid getting overlyexcited when people start throwing petrolbombs, and bricks and bottles crash besideyou. The hardest part is being aware of yoursurroundings at all times, yet disciplinedenough to choose your pictures carefully.

PM: Where is it best to be when violence breaks out?These running riots can be very fluid, movingfrom street to street very quickly. If you’re notpaying attention, you’ll be caught suddenly inno-man’s-land. Avoid at all costs gettingcaught between the rioters and the police, asyou’ll risk being injured from both sides.

Strangely, it is best to be among the riotersor slightly off to their side. Unless police startfiring baton rounds, they’re not going to bethrowing any missiles. So if you are standingclose to the people who are hurling missiles,you won’t be hit by them.

You have to be aware, though, that in thesetense situations people can change theirmoods very quickly. Amid the trouble, thereare moments of great humour and excitementamong the rioters, but this can turn to angerin an instant. If they suddenly don’t wantyou there, you have to run. So I try to readtheir body language as the situation unfolds.

PM: How do you protect yourself and yourequipment?

Use common sense – although your commonsense will tell you not to be there in the firstplace! I’m constantly going over ‘what if’scenarios and make sure I know at all timeswhere I’m located. If I get trapped in a cornerwith rioters, I want to ensure I know a way out.

It does happen that you get trapped withthe rioters, and it helps if you have long legs

A Nationalist youth throws a petrol bombat security forces in Ardoyne, northBelfast, after an Orange Orderparade had passed through the area.

PM_SEPT_RIOTS:Layout 1 26/07/2011 10:20 Page 48

www.downmagaz.com



CATHAL McNAUGHTON

TECHNIQUES

SHOOTING IN A RIOT

Cathal McNaughton is

a an award-winning photo-

journalist working for

Reuters, and his work has

featured in many different

publications, such as the New

York Times and Time

magazine. He won the portraits category of the

Press Photographer’s Year 2010 awards with an

image of snooker legend Alex Higgins.www.cathalmcnaughton.com

BIOGRAPHYand can run fast. From a police officer’sperspective, it’s hard to differentiate betweena guy with a camera and a rioter witha camera, so I can’t assume they’re goingto avoid using force against me.

PM: Do you find photographing violence easier

because the subject matter is so dramatic, or does it

bring a new set of compositional challenges?

In violent situations there is an element ofluck involved because you’re not in control ofwhat’s happening in front of you. You mightbe lucky enough to see the person with the

petrol bomb step in front of you. But also, aftercovering enough of these incidents, youlearn where the person with the petrol bombis most likely to be standing.

Each demonstration you go to followsa similar cycle of shouting, police intervention,throwing stones or golf balls, and so on. So youlearn to read the crowd behaviour and adjustyour position accordingly. PM

A Nationalist youth throws a missile at securityforces in Ardoyne as hijacked cars blaze.

A member of anOrange Order band

relaxes beforea Twelfth of July

parade.

Security forces remove Catholic residentsblocking an Orange Order parade throughtheir neighbourhood.

For more news and reviews visit our sitewww.photographymonthly.com

COMINGNEXT MONTH

In the September issue ofProfessional Photographermagazine, we speak to aninsurance expert aboutspecialist cover for just

such situations.

PM_SEPT_RIOTS:Layout 1 26/07/2011 17:20 Page 49

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INCYWINCYThe UK has about 700 native species

of spider but these arachnidsare underrated and little-studied.PAUL HOBSON explains where to

find spiders and what you need to getstarted on taking their pictures.

SPIDER


PAUL

HOBS

ON

he British are a nation ofanimal lovers and over thepast decade more people

than ever have been attracted tophotographing the animal kingdom.Many of us even travel abroad lookingfor fresh and exciting opportunities.However, you don’t have to travel

long distances for fresh challenges,as there are amazing numbers ofanimals in the UK that are worthysubjects for your images. But whilesome species, such as our nativebutterflies and puffins, are favouriteswith wildlife photographers, otherfascinating animals seldom attractthe same interest.Why aren’t these creatures

as popular with photographers?

Perhaps it’s a lack of knowledge or aninnate but unwarranted fear of somespecies that has put them off.To help break this notion, I would like

to help you to open your shutter to oneof the UK’s most interesting, yetoverlooked subjects: spiders.Humans are born without prejudice

or fear of wildlife. We have to learnthese undesirable traits; yet it does nottake long before large swathes of thepopulation develop a sometimespathological fear of spiders. In acountry dominated by these colourfulcreatures, it’s sad that so many peopledon’t openly embrace the world of thearachnid. This diverse and activeinvertebrate offers enormous potentialto the wildlife photographer. �

T

A woodland orb spider hangs expectantly inits web waiting for its prey.Canon EOS-1D Mk III, 180mm macro lens,1/160sec at f/3.5, ISO400, tripod.

PAUL HOBSON

WILD BRITAIN

PHOTOGRAPHING SPIDERS

PM_SEPT_SPIDERS:Layout 1 26/07/2011 17:41 Page 51


WHAT ARE SPIDERS?Spiders are one of the least studied andunder-recorded groups of animals in theUK. They belong to the class arachnida,which also includes scorpions, ticks, mitesand daddy-longlegs. This class in turn ispart of the larger group, or phylum, calledarthropoda, which also contains insectsand crustaceans.It is common knowledge that spiders

have eight legs and multiple eyes, butmany people do not realise how diverseand prevalent they are in this country,living everywhere from mountaintops andmoorland to our own gardens and homes.Spiders are possibly the most widespread

group of invertebrates in Britain, andabout 700 UK species are known so far,with more being discovered every decade.None of these is like the large-legged,

hairy tarantulas of nightmares and IndianaJones movie fame. Most are small – someare very small – but a good number,particularly the gorgeous orb spiders,are of a size that makes them easy tosee, find and photograph.

WHERE TO FIND SPIDERSSpiders are all around us. Just look underyour window frames in the summer andyou will find them hiding. The commongarden orb spider is a stunning animal

and a great choice to start your project.Watch a rockery in your garden and soonerrather than later you should spot smallhunting spiders – the lions of the micro world– stealthily stalking insect prey.In the autumn after a heavy dew, many

spiders’ webs are lit up by glistening waterdroplets. The easiest group to start withare the orb spiders, because these spinwebs, and it is the web that allows you tospot them. Hedges, areas of bracken,woodlands, moorlands and gardens willhave countless orb spiders waitingexpectantly for prey at their webs.I find early morning the best time to look

and I generally concentrate on the periodfrom May until October, when the first frostsstart to reduce spider numbers.

PHOTOGRAPHIC APPROACHThere are two approaches I use whenworking with spiders: one is to try to takea photograph where I find them; the other isto catch the spider and move it somewheresheltered for the photograph.I use the latter method when it’s too windy

to keep the spider and vegetation still. I workwith the spider in a controlled environment,

Paul Hobson was a lecturer in

environmental science for 20 years

before becoming a full-time wildlife

photographer. As a contract holder

with government adviser Natural England he is

responsible for wildlife photography in the East

Midlands and Peak District.www.paulhobson.co.uk

BIOGRAPHY

Trying to work out the identity of a particular spideris actually a very difficult thing to do, and there is nodefinitive guide to all the UK species. The internetis the best place to look, but if you really getinterested in spiders, consider joining a local naturalhistory group or the British Arachnological Society.Visit http://wiki.britishspiders.org.uk to find outmore information.

IDENTIFYING SPIDERS

The flower crab spiderhides among the petalsof a white bloom.This spider can slowlychange colour if it is on adifferently coloured flower.Canon EOS-1D Mk IV, 180mmmacro lens, 1/300sec atf/3.5, ISO 500, -1compensation, tripod.

I DO, HOWEVER, PREFERTO PHOTOGRAPH THE

SPIDER EXACTLY WHEREI FIND IT, BUT THISINVOLVES A LITTLE

MORE SUBTLETY.

PAUL

HOBS

ON


www.downmagaz.com



To take the best possible photograph of aspider’s web, choose a day when early-morningdew has been predicted. Late summer andautumn after clear nights are ideal. You’ll wantit to be a still day and to get out as early aspossible before the dew burns off or the websget broken.

The key is to get the light to shine through theweb from behind so that the thousands of minutewater droplets glisten. Firing into the light willachieve this effect; alternatively, use anoff-camera flash or torch to create this effect.

Backgrounds are very important, especially toshow the water droplets at their best, so try forthe darkest background you can find. This mightmean not starting with the first web you find, butspending some time looking for one with a betterbackground. An alternative is to use a colouredcard as a background, holding it behind the webeither with the help of a willing assistant or witha clamp on a second tripod.

You will need to experiment with exposure,possibly underexposing to get the best effect.Keep checking your images on the screen butdon’t follow the histogram doggedly, because itcan deceive you with web shots.

To get as much of the web as sharp as possibleyou will need to set the camera at right angles toit; using a tripod helps greatly but be carefulthat the legs don’t knock the vegetation andbreak the web.

SHOOTING SPIDERS’ WEBS

opting for an old school clamp and standused in science lessons to create a little setwith vegetation. I then place the spiderwithin the set. I rarely use flash, preferringnatural light, and I find bright, diffused daysthe best because they produce natural,all-round soft lighting.I often set my camera’s white balance to

Cloudy to add a little more vibrancy to theimage. On very dull days I will use a smallflash, which is attached to the camera byan off-camera cord. By using a smalldiffuser and keeping the flash subdued bydialling in one-stop underexposure I canproduce nice, soft light. If the spider isphotographed in my own setup I sometimesuse two small flashes set at roughly 90°to each other, held on small tripods toeliminate any shadows.If I am working in the field and leaving

the spider completely untouched I use onlya single flash, which I can handhold andmove to create the type of lighting I want.In situations like this a cable release on thecamera makes life much easier.I keep the spider for only an hour or so

to take the photograph and then always putit back exactly where I discovered it.

Since spiders are living animals they deserve therespect we should pay to all living organisms.If you do decide to handle them, do so with care.The simplest way is to use a small paint brush and‘sweep’ them gently into a plastic tub, such as amargarine container.

There is no need to actually touch them, andI would advise you not to do so, because spidersare delicate and easily damaged.

In a very few cases – and it is very few – thereis a risk of getting a bite from a handful of the700 species of spider in the UK. If you take care,this risk is extremely small.

HANDLING SPIDERS

I do, however, prefer to photograph thespider exactly where I find it, but thisinvolves a little more subtlety. Often thespider will retreat a little when it seesyou, because they have excellent eyesight.To avoid frightening the spider, I willcarefully set up the camera and macro lenson a tripod and slowly move it into position.I take a careful note of the backgroundand will bend any distracting vegetationout of the way.

In these situations I often switch off theautofocus and use manual. It’s preferable todo this with small subjects because thefocus sensor on my camera often locks onto the wrong part of the spider. Like allforms of wildlife, keeping the eyes sharp isimportant. A bit of patience is now required,as the spider may still retreat, but usuallyit does not take long before the spider is itsactive self again.

WHAT LENS SHOULD I USE?Spiders are fairly small, so this is reallya form of macro photography and the ideallenses are a 150mm or 180mm macro.There are a couple of reasons, the main onebeing that the bigger macro lenses allowyou to get the same image size but at aslightly greater distance from the spider,which allows it to settle down much morequickly. I can put a converter and extensiontube on my Canon 180mm macro lens whichallows much greater magnification – this isparticularly useful for very small spiders.The other main reason I like this type of

macro lens is that it has a lens collar whichfits directly on to my tripod. This balancesmuch better, but its real advantage is �

It’s best to shoot spiders’ webs backlit, witha telephoto at the long end and using as widean aperture as possible to blur the background.

WILD BRITAIN

©20

11iS

TOCK

PHOT

OLP

PAUL HOBSONPHOTOGRAPHING SPIDERS



that I can switch from portrait to landscapeformat without having to swing over thewhole tripod head and camera.

However, a 100mm macro lens isexcellent and will produce great images.Many modern non-dedicated macro lenseshave a macro setting and it’s worth tryingone of these out if you already own one –though I would never buy one instead ofa good-quality macro lens.

MACRO ALTERNATIVES ANDKEY CAMERA SETTINGSA cheaper alternative to forking out fora new macro lens is to buy a set ofextension tubes. These simply fit betweenthe lens and camera and allow a normal lensto focus much more closely, thus turning itinto a macro lens. They are a brilliant bitof kit and I would recommend that everyserious photographer has a set.

Macro work is a whole discipline in itself.Camera shake is magnified, so a good tripodis essential. One of the great delightsof digital is that with higher ISOs I can setfaster speeds, which helps to reducecamera shake. I always use aperture priorityand by using my depth of field previewbutton I can choose the best depth of fieldfor each shot. I find that with macro work,depth of field is very shallow so I oftenset f/16 or higher. This is often neededbecause many spiders have fat bodies,and their heads and multiple eyes areset tight into them.

Grassland is a superb habitat for manyhunting spiders, many of which do not spinwebs. Spiders lay eggs, sometimes in webs.In a few cases the female spider mayactually carry her egg sac with her, whichgives it that extra degree of protection.Canon EOS-1D Mk III, 180mm macro lens with1.4 converter, 1/640sec at f/11, ISO400,-1/3 compensation.

Sometimes you will find yourself out and aboutwithout all the equipment I’ve mentionedand see a spider that you want to photograph.Compact cameras are very good these daysand can take stunning images of spiders, butyour approach will be a little different.

Most compacts have a macro setting thatallows you to focus more closely on small objects.In some cases this can be remarkably close; myCanon PowerShot G11, for instance, will focus downto 1cm in macro mode!

I would still recommend that you place yourcompact camera on a tripod for that extra bitof stability. However, if you haven’t got one withyou or don’t have a cable release (and mostpeople don’t), place your camera on somethingflat and sturdy and use the short timer to takethe shot.

Because you will have to get fairly close,possibly closer than with a big macro lens ona DSLR, your approach will have to be moreconsidered. Take your time and move very slowlyinto position. If you can set the compact manually,try to use Av and get the biggest depth of field.

Most compacts don’t go much above f/8, butthis actually gives you a bigger depth of field thanf/8 on a DSLR. To get higher speeds if the lightlevels are not bright, select a higher ISO, around400 or even 800.

Get to know your compact and decide onthe highest ISO that you can use with acceptablenoise levels.

USING A COMPACT CAMERA

COMPOSITIONOnce I have my camera set up I generallywait for the spider to move around in itsworld. By keeping my hand movementsslow and deliberate when focusing, thespider shouldn’t keep retreating to safety.It is essential to keep the eyes sharp;when I have achieved this, I begin toconsider composition.

The rule of thirds is still a good startingpoint and I experiment with this techniquewith every new spider I encounter. I look forcolour and form. For example, the largefour-spot orb spider lives in hedges, oftenamong bright red rosehips. Including theseberries adds a touch of glamour to theimage. Some of the smaller spiders aredrab in colour and well-camouflaged.

Orb spiders are well known for theirphenomenal web-spinning abilities. Webs arenot only effective hunting tools but the silkused to make them helps the spider movearound their environment.Canon EOS-1D Mk III, 180mm macro lens,1/250sec at f/11, ISO400.

THE RULE OF THIRDS IS STILL A GOOD STARTING POINTAND I EXPERIMENT WITH THIS TECHNIQUE WITH EVERYNEW SPIDER I TACKLE. I LOOK FOR COLOUR AND FORM.

PAUL

HOBS

ON


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For more top tips from the pros visit oursite www.photographymonthly.com

If this is the case I try to build this into myimage by choosing complementary colouredvegetation or flower heads.

There is one particular spider in theUK that sets my pulse racing: the flowercrab. We have only one species of thisstunning little gem and what makes it sofascinating is that it adopts the colourof the flower where it hides while waitingfor its prey. If it is moved to a differentcoloured flower it will slowly change colourover a couple of days.

ESSENTIAL KITIn addition to your DSLR and the lensoptions we discussed, you will also wanta tripod that opens out completely flat; thisis not essential, but it does allow you to get

the camera lower down for shots wherespiders are in grass or low vegetation.Other important bits of gear are a cablerelease and an extension tube for extraclose-up work, a small flashgun with adiffuser and an off-camera cable, or remote,for firing the flash. PM

�Webs are some of the most beautiful architecturalobjects made by any living organism. Photographing hereat an angle allows a different view of an orb spiderwaiting patiently in the web’s centre.Canon EOS-1D Mk III, 180mm macro lens, 1/100sec atf/3.5, ISO400, -1/3 compensation, tripod.

MACRO WORK ISA WHOLE DISCIPLINE

IN ITSELF.CAMERA SHAKE IS

MAGNIFIED, SOA GOOD TRIPOD IS

ESSENTIAL.

WILD BRITAIN

PAUL HOBSONPHOTOGRAPHING SPIDERS


www.downmagaz.com


PART1 OF3


THE EVOLUTIONOFAPHOTO ESSAYCreating a strong picture story doesn’t have to mean travelling to far-offplaces or putting yourself in harm’s way. In the first of a three-part series,documentary photographer DAMIAN DROHAN shows how you can findall the drama and compelling stories you need just round the cornerfrom your home. This month Damian explains how to vet your ideas andapproach your subjects for the first time.

hat is a photo essay? The notion of

what constitutes ‘documentary’ has

undergone a radical overhaul over

the past 20 to 30 years. Like everything else,

fashions in photography are fickle. For me,

a documentary photographer is someone

who is interested in the world beyond their

own. What’s more, to be a good documentary

photographer you need to possess

an intense curiosity and empathy with

your subjects.

These days the photo essay is popularly

associated with war and faraway dramas that

seem either too intimidating or impossible

to achieve for all but a select few. In reality

though, compelling picture story ideas are

all around us, ranging from the complex and

emotional to the short and simple.

The first step in finding the right photo

essay for you is to think about the things

that interest you. What subjects, people,

things and places do you want to make sense

of with your camera? For me this has ranged

from battle re-enactors to local theatre

groups. You might be interested in family

or local issues, for instance. Whatever your

idea, it should sustain your interest long

enough to tell a complete story.

Many documentary photographers

research intently, reading about and talking

to potential subjects. There may be customs,

taboos, cultural differences or issues that

need consideration, so often some basic

research can dramatically accelerate the

development of a project. However, I’ve often

found the best stories have been the ones

W

�

DAMIAN DROHAN

TECHNIQUES

PLANNING A PHOTO ESSAY

A general contact sheet from the first night’s shooting at the track. It’s clear that I was finding my feet, movingwhere the action took me and trying different things.

IMAG

ESDA

MIA

NDR

OHAN

PM_SEPT_PHOTO_ESSAY:Layout 1 25/07/2011 13:03 Page 57


Damian Drohan is a portrait and

documentary photographer who

uses still images, sound and video

to tell engaging stories. He earned

an MA in photojournalism and

documentary photography at

London College of Communication

under the tutelage of Magnum photographer Paul Lowe

and former head of IPG John Easterby, graduating with

distinction. He works in the main for editorial clients,

NGOs and advertising agencies. Most recently his work

has appeared in the Sunday Times’ Culture section and

on the BBC. www.damiandrohan.com

BIOGRAPHY

where I gradually uncover details with my

camera. Such was the case with my photo

essay on greyhound racing entitled Dogs and

Their Men.

CONCEPTION OF THE IDEAMy idea for Dogs and Their Men stemmed

from my father’s, grandfather’s and uncles’

intense interest in greyhounds. One of my

dad’s earliest anecdotes was of how he had to

leap between my three-year-old self and a

greyhound after I poked the dog in the eye.

On another occasion our neighbour’s cat met

an untimely end when racing across our yard.

It obviously didn’t realise that greyhounds

have a very strong chase instinct.

Greyhounds have always been a part of my

life, so for me it was kind of inevitable that I

would turn my camera on the sport. You may

have a similar presence in your life that lends

itself as an obvious subject. This is always a

great place to start.

Try investigating something familiar to you.

In my case, I figured there would be a variety

of visual material with greyhounds. And when

I started photographing to get a sense of

whether the idea would work I began to get

that tingle of my photographic sixth sense that

lets me know I’m on to something.

VETTING THE IDEAA project might sound amazing on paper, but

you need to ask yourself whether it will drive

you to return again and again. The subject

matters most, not the location, your camera or

the new lens you’re dying to try out. It’s not

only better, but easier to pick something

with more obvious visual appeal and

a variety of visual content. In the case of

Dogs and Their Men, I knew there would be

a variety of subject matter beyond just the

dogs. I vetted my idea by taking a first

round of practice pictures to help me

develop a style and way of presenting the

images I saw in my mind.

On my first shoot, after rising at dawn,

I trailed my father at the track for about two

hours as he walked, fed, groomed and

“GREYHOUNDS HAVEALWAYS BEEN A PARTOF MY LIFE, SO FORME IT WAS KINDOF INEVITABLE THATI WOULD TURNMY CAMERA ONTHE SPORT.”

A bookie’s clerk appears to have a bagfor a head. Again, this picture was theresult of noticing the possibilities andworking around the subject. A fewsteps or even a few inches left, right,up or down can make a huge differenceto the composition and content of animage and how it works visually.

Dog feeding and walking in the ratherspartan environment of the kennels.


www.downmagaz.com



mucked out his dogs. I shot a roll-and-a-half

of Kodak Professional T-Max400, pushed to

800 ASA, then developed the film and ran

my contacts. When I got my loupe out I felt a

tremble of excitement – of45 frames I had three

I was happy with. Thus began my four-month

visual journey.

MAKING CONTACTPerseverance, charm, a sense of humour and

a genuine affection for and interest in people

are vital characteristics for any documentary

photographer. If you’re shy, however, the

camera can be a great conversation piece and

may help you gain access. In my case I was

fortunate that I had some introductions to

people through my family connections.

While these were useful, however, I still needed

to pick up the phone. At some point you may

need to make cold calls or go and talk in person

with a potential subject. This shows the subject

that you’re not only serious, but confident.

After I started shooting my greyhound

project I got a list of names and phone numbers,

then eventually bit the bullet and started calling.

A simple thing to remember is to call at

a convenient time. The best times to call are

around noon, just before lunch, when the person

has stopped working, or in the early morning

before their colleagues have arrived. If, like

many people, you’re nervous about this part,

I’ve found that a prepared script can help.

Be completely honest about your intentions,

though. Clearly explain the photographs you

want to take and where the pictures will be

used. Most importantly, don’t forget to relax.

Remember, you’re not trying to get people to

sign up for a pyramid selling scheme, just take

their picture – most will be flattered!

“IN MY CASE I WASFORTUNATE THAT I HADSOME INTRODUCTIONS

TO PEOPLE THROUGHMY FAMILY

CONNECTIONS.”

At the owners’ entrance to the greyhoundstadium, a woman wearing a headscarf

arrives while track officials can be seenreading in the background.

�

DAMIAN DROHAN

TECHNIQUES




HUNGRY EYE Walker Evans

(Make sure you buy the larger version)

Evans was one of the greatest street

photographers. Hungry Eye begins with his early

abstract work, then surveys his involvement

with the Farm Security Administration and his

breakthrough exhibition at the Museum of

Modern Art in New York. It concludes with his

experimentation with colour in later life.

VIETNAM INC. Philip Jones GriffithsA classic of documentary photography and war

reporting, Vietnam Inc. was Jones Griffiths’s

three-year opus on conflict and imperialism

that helped to change public opinion on the

Vietnam War.

MAGNUM MAGNUMEdited by Brigitte Lardinois

Magnum Magnum is the perfect introduction to

members of the Magnum Photos agency.

Everyone will be inspired by the diversity and

quality of the key works of its photographers.

WORKERS Sebastião Salgado

Sebastião Salgado’s survey of labour conditions

from the Iron Age through the Industrial

Revolution to the present is a mammoth work.

Salgado visits sulphur mines in Indonesia, tuna

fishermen in Italy, Eurotunnel workers and

Brazilian gold miners to highlight not just the

plight of workers but the threats technology

has put on the livelihoods of manual labourers.

Any collections of works by HENRICARTIER-BRESSON, GARRYWINOGRAND AND LEE FRIEDLANDERPerhaps it’s cheating a bit to lump three

photographers and all their works into one

bullet point, but such is the quality of their

images that I always learn something new

when I look at them.

5 PICTURE STORIESTHAT INSPIRED ME1

2

3

4

5

GAINING TRUSTWith a sense of trepidation I approached the

owners’ entrance of the dog track on my first

night of ‘proper’ shooting. How would the

owners and spectators perceive me? I had

a sense of the greyhound racing world as a

closed environment comprising tightly knit

circles of friends and business acquaintances

who were very wary of strangers.

Feeling a little nervous, I arrived at the

track with a simplified kit of just my camera,

one lens and a few rolls of film. I even

removed the camera’s battery grip. I was

trying to blend in as much as possible and say,

“I’m not a threat.” I believe that attempting to

fit in is vitally important in gaining the trust of

your subjects. Of course, you have to judge

each situation as it arises. You don’t want to be

seen to be trying too hard, nor do you want to

appear condescending by adopting a new

personality or behaving differently, or irritate

and annoy by tearing around the place.

On that first night I experienced some

restrictions. Despite my transparency and

courtesy the officials simply wouldn’t let me

near the area where the dogs were being

weighed. No reason was given. Later on in the

project at a different track, however, this

wasn’t a problem. The best policy is to be

friendly and genuine, but ultimately face the

reality that sometimes people just won’t

acquiesce to your photographic demands.

I gained trust from strangers by smiling a lot

– not maniacally – and by being visible and

obvious with my camera. If you act nervously

it will make your subjects nervous too. With a

longer term project like this the key to getting

over any nervousness and winning over

subjects is repetition and patience. During my

first shoot I was an outsider. I was too nervous

to approach the bookies plying their trade.

I thought, incorrectly, that they might object.

Many times the only barriers to picture

taking are in our heads. The old adage is true:

if you don’t ask, the answer’s always no. By my

third visit the bookies recognised me and once

even asked me to pose at their stand while

they took my camera and photographed me!

People take you more seriously if they

see you often. Gentle persistence, honesty

and friendliness are important tools for

a documentary photographer. If you promise

a print, always follow through. Try to

remember people’s names. It all helps.

FIRST PICTURESThere’s no denying the heady combination of

expectation and nervousness I feel when I

review the first shoot of a project. The first

shoot is often a sounding board for ideas and

style. The late Garry Winogrand once said,

“I photograph to see what the world looks like,

photographed.” I think this sentiment sums up

succinctly the beginning of a project.

I have an idea of a particular style and will

generally have decided in advance whether

a project warrants black-and-white or colour

treatment. I don’t like to shoot in colour

simply because the world is in colour.

You have to decide what the subject matter

demands and what you want to convey

visually and emotionally about it. Some can

lend themselves to either treatment, but

many subjects will suit one more than the

other. Digital technology allows us to choose

this after the fact, but being mindful of your

intended outcome in advance should help

guide you in your shooting.

Personally I shoot very differently when

I envisage a colour rather than monochrome

outcome. For my greyhound project I always

saw it being more graphic in nature, shot

in black and white with lots of contrast.

Generally my decision to shoot in colour or

black and white is determined by the subject

and my emotional response. Sometimes the

absence of colour simplifies – for example,

where the colour palette is very busy or

garish. I once shot a photo essay in a location

where there were so many clashing colours

I had no option but to shoot in black and white.

On other occasions shooting in colour is vital,

where perhaps subtleties of tone convey

emotion more effectively. I once shot

a documentary piece comprising portraits

where the subtleties of colour in people’s

clothing were vital.

Be guided by how you feel about the

subject; you’re trying to communicate a story

and you need to use the language that best

does that. These first pictures are very much

about exploring the subject matter, so it’s

important to remember that they don’t have

to be perfect. Prior to the first shoot you

may have visualised your pictures in detail.

Only when you start shooting will you know

if your vision was correct and what any

potential obstacles might be.

“MANY TIMES THE ONLYBARRIERS TO PICTURE

TAKING ARE IN OURHEADS. THE OLD ADAGE

IS TRUE: IF YOU DON’TASK, THE ANSWER’S

ALWAYS NO.”


www.downmagaz.com


TAKE ALOOK

To see Damian’s ongoing Second World

War memory project, visit

www.ww2vetsproject.com To see more

of Damian’s other work, visit

www.damiandrohan.com

So what did I learn frommy first shoots?

Firstly I learned that the lighting was very difficult,

ranging from dull, flat fluorescent light in some

areas to hardly any light in others, which suited

the black-and-white style I had visualised.

These shoots also taught me that events and

subjects moved too quickly for constant exposure

adjustments. Given these obstacles I knew I would

be shooting in the range of ISO 1000-1600 and

that I would need careful metering. My initial

shots also told me that there would be plenty of

visual material in the form of portraits, action

shots of people at work, interactions and

relationships between individuals and dogs and

their owners, as well as potential still-life images.

My first visit to the track also taught me that

events happen in a definite sequence, which

helped me structure the project. Most importantly

I learned that very few people cared that I was

photographing these events, or even noticed I had

a camera. The first shoots were very much about

finding my feet photographically. As you can see,

the style was governed somewhat by the lighting

and locations I found and by getting a feel for the

subject matter and reacting to it.

Don’t expect miracles on your first shoot.

Expect a lot of mediocre shots along the way, but

keep your patience and give your project the time

it deserves. The key to a successful photo essay

is to build it up layer by layer. Sometimes you’ll

be awash with pictures and opportunities while on

other occasions you’ll have nothing, but your

patience will be rewarded. PM

NEXT MONTHDamian discussesplanning andexecuting your

shoots.


� Another contact sheet from the first night atthe dog track. Don’t be concerned if you findyourself flitting from one thing to another, it’sall part of the process. Unless you’re at a one-offevent, you can always return forearmed.

� In this image I was going for abstraction.Cutting off all but the punter’s hands andhis form booklet gives a sense of theBig Brother-like atmosphere in the viewingstand, with televisions everywhere and thestrange-looking fan in the centre.

�A man in a black coat stands talking to someacquaintances at the track’s edge. I had noticedhim earlier and followed him around for a fewminutes because I figured that the combinationof the stark black coat with the strangerectangular shapes created by the concreteblocks, TV screen and door, would make fora strong graphic image.

DAMIAN DROHAN

TECHNIQUES



Your favourite magazines arenow available on your iPad!Foto Mags Now is free to download via iTunes or the App Store and gives you the

chance to buy single editions and subscribe to Professional Photographer,Photography Monthly, Which Digital Camera and World of Photography.

Foto Mags Now lets you expand features, scroll around the page, read text only,access a photo gallery exclusive to each issue, listen to podcasts and view video contentexclusive to the iPad edition. If you don’t have an iPad don’t worry as Foto Mags Now

can also be downloaded onto your iPhone.

Foto Mags Now - your digital gateway to your photography magazines.

PHOTOGRAPHYWORLDOF

PM_SEPT_FOTOMAG:Layout 1 26/07/2011 16:14 Page 62

www.downmagaz.com


SEPTEMBER 2011ISSUE PODCAST

The new Editor of PhotographyMonthly, Jeff Meyer, andGroup Editor Adam Scoreydiscuss their vision for themagazine, along with the latestnews and developments from theworld of photography. The podcastgoes live on 19 August.

AUGUST 2011ISSUE PODCAST

The then-Editor of Photography Monthly,Grant Scott, and his deputy editor Sean Samuelsshare tips for photographing outdoors.

JULY 2011ISSUE PODCAST

Grant and Sean discuss their trip to Rome fora hands-on look at the Panasonic DMC-GF3, theOlympus XZ-1 and how to shoot glamour.

WE’RE ON YOUR

JUNE 2011SPECIAL PODCAST

Grant Scott and the then-deputyeditor of Professional Photographer,Eleanor O’Kane, speak to SeanSamuels, reporting from the New YorkPhoto Festival 2011.

MAY 2011ISSUE PODCAST

Grant and Sean speak about their experiencesshooting different subjects and in different locations24 hours a day and discuss the work featured inthe magazine.

APRIL 2011ISSUE PODCAST

All the latest product releases and innovations inphotography are discussed by Grant and Sean as theyreflect on the people and products they encounteredat this year’s Focus on Imaging exhibition atBirmingham NEC.

Thanks to everyone who has listened to our monthly podcastsover the past two years. In case you missed any, they are availablevia the website and can be downloaded from iTunes

WAVELENGTH


SPECIAL PODCASTNIKON MASTERMIND FINAL

The final two contestants of our Mastermindquiz, sponsored by Nikon, go head to headto see who will win the Nikon D3s high-endDSLR worth £4,200. Find out who is thePM Mastermind.

MARCH 2011ISSUE PODCAST

National Geographic photographer Jim Richardsontalks to Grant and Sean about his landscape workmade in the Hebrides. They also discuss the latestnews from the world of photography.

FEBRUARY 2011ISSUE PODCAST

The CES Show in Las Vegas is the talking point forGrant and Sean as they reveal all their favouritethings, releases and dishes from Sin City. PM

THEBACK

CATALOGUEAll of our podcasts featuringphotographer interviews and

industry news specialsare available online atwww.photographymonthly.com

TAKE

NFR

OMPM

,AUG

UST

2011

ISSU

E,M

ARK

CARE

YDI

SCUS

SES

STRE

ETPH

OTOG

RAPH

YPM EDITOR

TECHNIQUES

PODCAST

In this definitive practical guide, professional

photographer John Freeman shows you how

to get the most out of your digital SLR

camera. Full of inspiring photography and

professional tips, it is ideal for all keen

amateur photographers and those aspiring to

move over from using a traditional film SLR

camera. Topics covered include: getting more

from your DSLR, understanding the DSLR

system, photographing a variety of genres

and post-production techniques. For your

chance to win a copy, worth £16.99, enter

our contest at www.photographymonthly.com

WIN!

COLLINS DIGITALSLR HANDBOOK

PM_SEPT_PODCAST:Layout 1 27/07/2011 15:28 Page 63


5 MINUTES WITH...

...PHILIP VOLKERS

For a recent Olympus web campaign, photographer PHILIP VOLKERS wascommissioned to demonstrate the creative filters found on the Olympus PEN E-PL2.KELLYWEECH caught up with him to find out what went on behind the scenes

Olympus PEN E-PL2’s Pop Art filter, f/7.1, ISO 200, focal length 25mm

PHIL

IPVO

LKER

S

PM_SEPT_CAMERA_SHOTS:Layout 1 25/07/2011 13:07 Page 64

www.downmagaz.com



.WHAT INSIGHTS can you give on fulfilling the brief for the Olympus PEN

E-PL2? How did you plan your day?

The day was quite hard to plan. It was meant to be a lifestyle shoot around London but thismeant we had to take a guerilla approach to the photographs we wanted. It is now verydifficult to take photographs in the capital without someone trying to stop you. My shootsnormally have a lot of production and a large team, but this time it was very fluid.

WHAT TECHNICAL ADVICE and tips can you offer PEN users?

I really liked playing with the ISO on the PEN camera, particularly in low light. I wouldalso recommend always shooting in RAW mode as you have a lot more flexibility with thephotographs when you come to process them.

WHAT LENS(ES) did you use and why?

I used the 14-42mm lens for most of the day because it seemed to cover all my bases forshooting in guerilla style. There was one point where I needed to shoot from far away and Iused the new 300mm lens, which was superb.

DID YOU USE THE PEN’S auto modes or take creative control yourself?

I was mainly using the camera in manual, but when I am out and about with friends Inormally set it to auto or at least on aperture priority. I will tweak it in Photoshopafterwards and this is the reason I always shoot in RAW.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE

creative filters and why?

My favourite PEN Art Filter at themoment is Pin Hole, as it gives a reallyretro feel.

WHAT ARE THE BEST AND WORST

traits of the PEN?

The PEN is so compact that you cancarry it everywhere and it also looks really nice.I always had the OM-1 and OM-10s, and believe the PEN E-PL2 is like a ‘new school’ versionof a classic model. I don’t like the flash; not just on this camera but any of the smallerones. I am used to having big flash heads, but we are not always in a studio!

COULD YOU SEE OTHER PROFESSIONALS using it for commissioned work?

It depends on what you have been commissioned to do. I could see someone using it for atravel feature or lifestyle job. The working file sizes are good enough to print as well.

DO YOU THINK it could replace a DSLR?

No, I will always use a DSLR.

DO YOU LIKE THE MORE SQUARE FORMAT of the Four Thirds sensor?

I really like the Four Thirds system; it feels more intuitive and it’s also great for publishingbecause it’s the right format for printing on to pages. It can easily be split into a DPS.

DID YOU FEEL AWKWARD shooting a professional job on a CSC camera?

No, not all. For this job around London I had to go incognito, so having a large camerawould have hindered me more. We were able to blend in. In terms of shootingprofessionally I can be taking photos anywhere, so having a light, compact camera can beeasier because I tend to have one on me, whereas I don’t want to carry a DSLR.

See the next page for more of Philip’s images and behind-the-scenes pictures.www.philipvolkers.com

GOONLINETo see the full webcampaign visit

www.olympus.co.uk

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2

3

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5

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9

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PHILIP VOLKERS

TECHNIQUES

BEHIND THE SCENES



FACTDid you know that the first-generation Olympus PEN camera (right) appeared in 1959? The concept was tocreate a more affordable camera and it sold for less than one-third the price of other Olympus models. The PENcombined the D-Zuiko lens with portability, and was also used by professionals as a secondary camera. PM

PHILIP VOLKERS is well-known for his love of guerilla-style shooting. Instead of choosing a glossy studiosetup, he headed for central London to get a more realistic idea of the capabilities of the PEN’s creative filters.

Dramatic Tone, f/6.3, ISO 200, focal length 14mm

Grainy Film, f/4.5, ISO 300,

focal length 50mm

Soft Focus, f/6.3, ISO 300,

focal length 50mm

PHILIP VOLKERS

TECHNIQUES

BEHIND THE SCENES


www.downmagaz.com


ADAM SCOREY & JEFF MEYERPREPARING FOR BAD WEATHER

BUYERS’ GUIDE

GET READY FOR...BAD WEATHER

Some of you may still be brushing the sand from yourcameras and sending off your holiday snaps to thelikes of PhotoBox or Jessops, but the end of Augustsignifies that slow, downhill drudge into autumn andwinter. Now, for us photographers this change inseason is a real opportunity to capture nature’smetamorphosis from all those lush greens to the richhues of autumn and then the stark tones of winter.But, as all Scouts will tell you, you need to beprepared – and by that I mean the practical stuff.Anyway, there may be a few ideas to give to lovedones as hints for Santa’s sack…Our guide covers a whole raft of things to consider,

from protecting your most precious asset, you, toyour bag, camera and trinkets. We have even trawledthrough accessories brochures and stuck our handsdown the back of the internet’s proverbial sofa tobring you things you probably didn’t know existed,plus a few cheats too. Then, to cap it off, we’ve spokento a number of professionals for some hints and tipson what they do at this unpredictable time of year.So, read on and enjoy. If you have your own ideas

and cheats, please log on to the PM website and shareyour own techniques for winter preparations withfellow readers.

The best of the summer weather willsoon be behind us, so PM EditorJEFFMEYER and Group Editor ADAMSCOREY put together their essentialguide to protecting yourself and your kitfrom what the elements throw at us

MIC

HAEL

HOW

ARD

PM_SEPT_BADWEATHER:Layout 1 27/07/2011 13:21 Page 67

3

1


With its 18-megapixels, 8fps and eight-stop ISOrange, the 7D is quite a performer. But it is alsodesigned with the outdoor photographer in mind.Not only is its chassis made of magnesium alloy,meaning it is lightweight, it also has a decentlevel of weather resistance in the form of sealsaround key buttons and switches. In researchingthis feature we found people had used the 7D inthe Antarctic and it had performed excellently.

DSLRS�THE DSLRS WE HAVE SELECTED HERE are thosewhich have been given dust and moistureresistance by their manufacturers, so havesome protection against the elements.No DSLR should be considered waterproofbecause it is only as good as theconnection between camera and lens.

2

CANON EOS 7D

Price: £1,250 (body only)

BUY IT: www.jessops.com

NIKON D300S



OLYMPUS E-5



With its flip-out 3in LCD screen, 18MP APS-Csensor and 5.3fps shooting, the 60D is a solidall-round performer as a camera, plus it has theCanon name behind it, so you know you’ll getsuperb image quality. But the body does alsohave dust and water resistance built in aroundthe main buttons, screen and battery. The body,though not metal, has been designed with thissort of protection, and outdoor use, in mind.

Though some may say it’s a bit long in the toothnow, the D300s is still a hell of a performer,with a 51-point AF system, 7fps shooting and a12-megapixel APS-C sensor. But it too is designedto take professional use, which includes dust andmoisture seals all over the magnesium alloy bodyat the most vulnerable locations.

On its website, Olympus has described itsrange-topping 12.3-megapixel Four Thirds DSLRas ‘Splashproof’. However, in researching thisarticle we went on to YouTube and found thatpeople had tested their E-5s by leaving them outin the pouring rain! One chap (Mark Humpage)even tested the camera by leaving it outsidein -10ºC conditions overnight and it still workedfine. Incredible!

4 PENTAX K-5

Price: £900 (body only)


The underdog in many ways, Pentax, which hasjust been bought by Ricoh from Hoya, gives thestainless steel and magnesium alloy K-5 77independent seals that make the body veryweatherproof. In fact, the camera has beentested down to -10ºC, so it too can cope withharsh, dusty, cold conditions and still performas it should.

5 NIKON D7000



This is the first APS-C camera Nikon producedwith a sensor of more than 12MP. It has alsobeen one of its most popular cameras for 2011,and with good reason. The spec is superb forthe price, but we are interested in the camera’senhanced dust and moisture features.Though not quite as extensive as the D300sand higher-end models, the 16.2MP mid-rangeDSLR has protection in all the right places.

6 CANON EOS 60D



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www.downmagaz.com



BUYERS’ GUIDE

Panasonic’s latest addition to the outdoor compactcamera range is about as rugged as it gets. The FT3 iswaterproof to 12m, shockproof from 2m and freezeproofto -10°C , so it will follow you through any downpour,gale or blizzard and live to tell the tale in playback mode.Other key features include its 12.1MP resolution,28-128mm equivalent wide-angle zoom lens, full HD videocapability and POWER OIS with Active mode to combatcamera shake. For those wanting to go truly native you’llalso find a built-in compass, altimeter, barometer andGPS receiver.

COMPACTCAMERAS�THERE WAS A TIME NOT LONG AGO when using a compact camera marked a significant step

down in quality. But these days not only has image quality improved dramaticallyin the digital compact market, but most manufacturers offer a rugged, highly durablemodel for outdoor photographers and action heroes. In this section we’ve rounded upsome of the top tough compacts and explained not only what they’re capable ofproducing, but what they can withstand!

1 PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-FT3

Price: £350


2 PENTAX OPTIO WG-1

Price: £270


3 CANON POWERSHOT D10

Price: £250


The 14MP Fujifilm FinePix XP30 isn’t as ‘everything-proof’ assome of its competitors here, but it provides sufficientprotection for most conditions you’ll encounter and issignificantly cheaper. Waterproof down to 5m, freezeproofto -10°C and shockproof from 1.5m, and with a rubber grip,the camera can still handle adversity. The XP30 also featuresa 5x optical zoom, GPS tagging, 720p HD video recording,tracking autofocus and a Motion Panorama mode.

Pentax’s latest outdoor camera takes some big stridesahead of its predecessor, extending its resistance downto 10m waterproof, shockproof from 1.5m, freezeproof to-10°C, dustproof and able to withstand the pressure ofweight up to 100kg. Its 5x optical zoom lens provides a28-140mm equivalent, while the Optio WG-1 also has14MP resolution and a 720p HD video recording.The more adventurous among us might also enjoy its5 LED for macro and underwater photography.

Canon’s first underwater digital camera is a few years oldnow but is still as young and fit as its competitors. While its3x optical zoom lens may lag behind some of its rivals, theCanon D10 was taking pictures underwater at depths of 10mlong before the other compacts in this section. Dustproof,shockproof from 1.2m and freezeproof down to -10°C, the12.1MP PowerShot D10 has received positive reviews for itsdurability and ease of use.

4 FUJIFILM FINEPIX XP30

Price: £140


5 OLYMPUS TOUGH TG-810

Price: £230


Perhaps the most stylish of the current crop of outdoorcameras, the TOUGH TG-810 lives up to its moniker,being shockproof from heights of 2m and crushproof atweights up to 100kg. Like most of the other compactshere, the TG-810 is waterproof to 10m and freezeproof to -10°C.Along with a 14MP sensor and 720p HD recording, theTG-810 features a 920,000-dot, 3in LCD screen with ananti-glare layer and 3D and Panorama modes. It is like thePanasonic FT3 in including a compass and GPS.

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BUYERS’ GUIDE

LENSES�WHILE WEATHER-SEALED DSLRS AND SEEMINGLY INDESTRUCTIBLE COMPACT CAMERAS hog mostof the headlines, a resilient, all-weather-proof lens is also of paramount importancefor the outdoor photographer’s kit bag. Many manufacturers have a range ofweather-sealed optics that allow you to shoot the subjects you want with confidence,regardless of the weather. Below we have selected some of the key lenses you shouldconsider for those days when a lens hood just isn’t enough.

1 PENTAX SMC DA 18-135MM

f/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR

Price: £489

BUY IT: www.parkcameras.com

Its wide focal range makes the Pentax18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 a great all-rounder, but itsweather-resistant construction and SP coating,which is made of a special fluoride compound torepel water, dust and grease, truly does giveyou a versatile optic for all subjects, scenes andconditions. This lens normally retails forupwards of £650, but at the time of writing wefound it at the bargain price above.

2 NIKON AF-S 16-35MM f/4G ED VR

Price: £870


The AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR is sealedto protect it from moisture and dust, makingthis wide-angle zoom a reliable partner to aweather-sealed body such as the Nikon D300s.Other key features of the 16-35mm includeVibration Reduction and a fast autofocus withfull-time manual focus override. And while theoptic’s constant aperture of f/4 isn’t as fast asthe Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 below it on this list, it’sa very fine lens with great reviews and costsabout three-quarters of the price of the24-70mm f/2.8.

3 NIKON AF-S 24-70MM f/2.8G

Price: £1,270

BUY IT:www.jessops.com

This slim, lightweight professional lens is oneof the more expensive optics on our list, butwe’ve included it because it offers theall-weather photographer two advantages.First is its solid construction, which isdesigned to protect the lens from moisture,dust and extreme cold. However, its constantaperture of f/2.8 is tailor-made for thebad-weather photographer who needsexcellent sharpness and colour reproductionin low-light conditions.

4 CANON EF 28-300MM

f/3.5-5.6 L IS USM

Price: £2,200


Suitable for Canon SLRs and DSLRs with EF lensmounts, the 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 L featuresa dustproof, dripproof construction to allowyou to work in a range of harsh weatherconditions. While heavy at 1.7kg, Canon’s opticis solidly built, and its two stabiliser modescompensate for approximately three stops,allowing you more opportunity to shoothandheld and avoid having to carry a tripod.It’s not cheap, by any means, but its durabilityand incredible focal range are hard to beat.

5 CANON EF 70-200MM

f2.8 L IS II USM

Price: £1,920


The mount, focus mode switch and focusingring all feature a dust and dripproof structurethat prevents dust or water from getting insidethe lens and camera when used withaccompanying weatherproof EOS bodies.This makes it a highly durable, reliable lensfor daily use by professional photographers.

ADAM SCOREY & JEFF MEYER PREPARING FOR BAD WEATHER

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Errors & omissions excepted. Goods subject to availability. Offers, prices, specifications and services are subject to change without prior notice and relate to mainland UK stores only. All prices include VAT. Savings based on previous sell prices. Ask in store for details.

200 Stores jessops.com 0800 083 3113

TAMRON 18-270MM F3.5-6.3 VC PZD LENS

jessops.com

PERFECTCOMPANIONS...

NIKON AF-S DX 18-200MM VR II LENS

TAMRON SP 70-300MM F4-5.6

NIKON24-85MM F/2.8-4.0 AF-D IF

15X ZOOM


1 JESSOPS TREK2 SHOULDER BAG

Price: Small, £21.95; Medium, £25.95;

Large, £29.95


Designed to hold a small- to medium-size DSLR orcompact system camera kit, the Trek2 Shoulder Bagfeatures a nylon outer shell along with an internal zipand apron to protect your gear from moisture.Three external zipped pockets also allow extra room foraccessories. Interior dimensions range from 12 x 11 x6.5cm in the small, 15 x 12 x 9cm in the medium-sizebag and 18 x 16.5 x 10cm in the large.

2 LOWEPRO DRYZONE 200

Price: £290

BUY IT: www.amazon.co.uk

What Lowepro claims as the world’s first totallywaterproof, soft-sided backpack, the DryZone 200 willalso float and keep your equipment safe should you findyourself caught in a flash flood. Let’s hope it doesn’tcome to that, of course! The48.5 x 37.1 x 29cm bagcomes with an inner ‘drypod’ with a patented watertightzip to keep your gear safe. Other features includea tuckaway tripod holder, drain hole, self-draining meshpockets and a customisable compartment. While theprice is a little steeper than others we’ve listed here,the Lowepro claims to offer complete protection for thededicated outdoor photographer.

3 LOWEPRO SLINGSHOT 302 AW

Price: £70


The latest in Lowepro’s popular SlingShot line,the 302 AW promises quicker access, a larger uppercompartment for more accessories and a HideawayTripod Mount. Meanwhile, its patented All WeatherAW Cover will keep your gear dry and dust-free.The 27x 29 x 15cm interior can hold a professionalDSLR with attached zoom lens (up to 70-200mm),four to six additional lenses or flashguns andaccessories (including a compact camera), compacttripod or monopod, plus extra personal items,Lowepro says.

4 KATA DC-441

Price: £55

BUY IT: www.amazon.co.uk

In extreme weather conditions, the Kata DC-441provides some of the best protection around and comeswith a dedicated Elements cover that fits over the bagto keep out rain and dust. The cover can be stored in anintegrated pouch when not in use, and an attachedbuckle allows you to hang it from your bag to dry.The 20 x 22 x 11.5cm interior with its customisabledividers allows you to carry your DSLR with mountedlens, plus two to three additional lenses, flash andother accessories.

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BUYERS’ GUIDE

BAGS�ALMOST AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR GEAR is where you decide to store it.

From roll-tops to elements covers, there are all sorts of weatherproofcamera bags out there in a variety of sizes. We have chosen a

selection of the most interesting of the range of options, highlightedtheir dimensions and explained the technology they employ to keep

your gear safe.

5 CAMERA ARMOR SEATTLE SLING

Price: £50

BUY IT: www.warehouseexpress.com

A reasonably priced, fully waterproof bag, the SeattleSling can hold a DSLR with a lens attached, plus one totwo additional lenses, a flashgun and other smallaccessories. The bag has no zips and employs an innerdry-bag that photographers roll three times to sealtheir contents from water, dust and sand. The SeattleSling features a heavily padded interior, measuring28 x 20.3 x 11.4cm, which will give your gear plenty ofprotection from any shocks and knocks.

6 AQUAPAC420 HARD LENS CAMERA CASE

for mini digital cameras with a zoom lens

Price: £35.95


This intriguing little case is designed for all thosesuper-zoom compact cameras out there and theirdedicated users. Weighing just 220g, the AquaPac420is essentially a sealed plastic bag with a built-in hardlens that can float or be submerged, allowing you totake pictures underwater. Compatible with mostcompact cameras, the AquaPac is waterproof down to5m and comes with a packet of five reusable,re-indicating desiccant sachets to help absorb anyambient moisture inside the case. It’s worth noting,however, that the limit of the built-in hard lens mayrestrict you from zooming all the way to the telephotoend of your camera.

7 OVERBOARD WATERPROOF SLR ROLL-TOP

CAMERA BAG

Price: £22.49

BUY IT: www.over-board.co.uk

It may not be the most stylish bag among its peers, buta 100% waterproof bag with seven-litre capacity atthis price is pretty hard to beat. Made of tough 600DPVC tarpaulin, the OverBoard roll-top employs thecompany’s Fold Seal System with welded seams, andeven floats when dropped in water. The bag has a largeinternal wet/dry pocket and an elasticated meshaccessories pocket, with a reflective front patch forextra visibility. The bag is suitable for a DSLR with anattached lens, plus an extra lens and small accessories.


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BUYERS’ GUIDE

ADAM SCOREY & JEFF MEYER PREPARING FOR BAD WEATHER

�AS IMPORTANT AS KEEPING YOUR precious camerasand lenses dry and free from dust and grimeis ensuring that you are protected too, fromthe tip of your toes to the end of your fingers.We spoke to outdoor clothing experts

Páramo for their advice on howphotographers can keep snug and warm too.

1 HALCON JACKET

Price: £270

BUY IT: www.themountainfactor.com

If you have been on one of landscape photographer JoeCornish’s workshops, you may well have seen this jacket.It’s ideal for the photographer because it is as practical asit is comfortable, warm and dry. Neat features includea fleece-lined collar, articulated shoulders for movement,two fleece-lined handwarming pockets, two ‘dry’ breastpockets, two large bellows pockets and an internal meshbreast pocket large enough even for LEE filters.

Layers are an important part of controlling yourtemperature, and the Páramo system is designed so youcan adjust them quickly. The Mountain Vent is worn nextto the skin and, used in conjunction with one of Páramo’sjackets, will help you to keep warm or cool down asnecessary. The pull-on comes in black, cobalt or olive.

There is a reason these are one of Páramo’s bestsellers: theyare designed for walking in all weathers, so have shapedknees, an elasticated waist, two handwarming pockets andtemperature adjustment via side zips. They even havea double seat layer to make them last longer. There area wide range of sizes and two colours – navy and dark grey –to choose from.

2 CASCADA TROUSERS

Price: £115

BUY IT: www.paramo.co.uk

3 MOUNTAIN VENT PULL-ON

Price: £67

BUY IT: www.wildtrak.com

4VELEZ ADVENTURE LIGHT SMOCK

Price: £180

BUY IT: www.themountainfactor.com

With five colours to choose from, this funky yet practicallight smock uses sophisticated fabrics to give all-roundprotection from the rain. There are twin zips at the frontfor ventilation, a large chest pocket, a drop tail for rainprotection, thicker fabric on the shoulders and backfor using a rucksack, an adjustable hood and Velcrosleeves. It’s also very light and quiet, making it ideal forwatching wildlife.

LADIES

The new Velez trousers are designed for a host of outdooractivities, from cycling to walking, due to their shape andlarge zipped vents running along each thigh. They areextremely comfortable thanks to their light weight,mixture of breathable fabrics and elasticated waist.There are two handwarming pockets and the trousers arefully weather protected.

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VELEZ ADVENTURE TROUSERS

Price: £130

BUY IT: www.whalleyoutdoor.co.uk

If you are going to be staying out in poor conditions for anylength of time, then the new Torres jacket is the ideal gearfor the job. It’s highly water-repellent for prolonged periodsand is extremely warm, with a moisture-resistant 133gsynthetic fill, giving it a down-like feel and quality. It’s idealfor photographers because it’s designed to give freedom ofmovement and the proportions are generous too.

UNISEX

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TORRES JACKET

Price: £117

BUY IT: www.whalleyoutdoor.co.uk

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CLOTHING


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MANFROTTO PRO WIND JACKET

MANFROTTO PRO SOFT SHELL

MANFROTTO PRO FIELD JACKET

MANFROTTO PRO PHOTO VEST

Errors & omissions excepted. Goods subject to availability. Offers, prices, specifications and services are subject to change without prior notice and relate to mainland UK stores only. All prices include VAT. Savings based on previous sell prices. Ask in store for details.


jessops.com

OUTDOOR ESSENTIALS...


ACCESSORIES

1 OP/TECH RAINSLEEVE

Price: £6

BUY IT: www.warehouseexpress.com

If you are looking for value for money, it is hard to beat thisclear, plastic bag shaped tube for protecting your DSLR.It can be used for handheld or mounted cameras and there’seven an eyepiece opening so you can look through thecamera’s viewfinder. The rainsleeve attaches to the front ofthe lens via a drawstring affair. All this for just £6 – and youget two!

2 KATA E-702 GDC ELEMENTS COVER

Price: £50


Kata is a name synonymous with quality. Part of theElements range, this T-shaped rainsleeve has a tube for thelens (up to 200mm, with an optional sleeve for lenses up to650mm) and two apertures with pull-up fasteners so bothhands can be used to operate your camera. There is a zipunderneath for quick, easy fitting and a Velcro loop thatattaches the rainsleeve to the lens, also with a pull cord.

3 MATIN DIGITAL CAMERA RAINCAPE

Price: £17

BUY IT: www.cameraclean.co.uk

The Matin Digital Camera Raincape is light and easy to fit,and the matte silver plastic sheet can extend down over thelegs of your tripod. Catering for lenses up to 300mm, it hasa clear plastic panel on the back to allow you to see thecamera’s LCD screen. A lift-up flap covers the viewfinderaperture, which clips in using the camera’s eyepiece and theraincape grips the lens using a drawstring loop. It comes invarious sizes and packs down well.

4 STORM JACKET SLR PRO

Price: From £35

BUY IT: www.vortexmedia.com / www.jbvisuals.co.uk

Available in four colours and five sizes, this funky-lookingnylon bag, tough enough for pro use, attaches to the lensand then pulls back over the camera body to protect yourDSLR against the elements. You access the camera byslipping your hand inside the jacket. The small, medium andlarge versions are £35, £37and £40 respectively.

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�OF COURSE, THERE’S MUCH MORE to protectingyour equipment than just having bags.At some point you’re going to want to take outyour camera and lenses, so we have looked atsome of the best options to protect you andyour kit while out photographing. From filtersto moisture-absorbing gels, theseitems are vital final touches to any outdoorphotographer’s kit.


www.downmagaz.com



BUYERS’ GUIDE


5 UV FILTERS

Price: From £17


You go to all the trouble of protecting your camera, yourselfand your kit within a quality bag, but it’s all too easy toforget about the front element of your lens. No, a fewraindrops won’t hurt it, though let them dry and you’ll havestrange blobs and light flares across your images.Yes, a soft, lint-free cloth can clean these off, but aftera time, micro scratches will appear in the glass. The solutionis simple. Buy a UV filter and attach it to your lens, so if youdo get caught out, at least it’s a far cheaper filter that you’llend up replacing, rather than an expensive lens.

6 CAMERA ARMOR

Price: From £30

BUY IT: www.jessops.com /

www.cameraarmor.com

These bespoke silicone ‘skins’ stretch over your DSLR andprovide protection from everyday scrapes, as well as fromhandling and usage. They can also protect your handsagainst cold equipment and add a little extra grip in dampconditions while still letting you access all the camera’scontrols. They come with a clear polycarbonate LCD coverand you can also buy protectors for your lenses. Prices vary,depending on your camera model.

7 CHAMOIS LEATHER

Price: From £3

BUY IT: B&Q or any DIY shop

After you have been on your landscape or wildlife shoot indamp or wet conditions, it’s always a good idea to dry yourgear with a cloth; a soft chamois leather is a great wayto gently absorb water droplets and moisture from yourgear. As well as DIY shops, you should also find chamoisleather in automotive shops for just a few pounds.

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8 SILICA GEL

Price: £4 (pack of two)


You may think you have dried your camera properly beforedropping it back in your bag or rucksack and forgettingabout it. However, leaving a few silicon gel sachets orMoisture Munchers – another popular brand – in your kit bagcan help absorb damp and prevent damage or corrosion. PM

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CANON EOS 7D 18-135MM KIT

PENTAX K5 18-55MM WR LENS

NIKON D7000 18-105MM VR LENS

PANASONIC DMC G3 14-42MM LENS

Visit Jessops.com for latest prices





jessops.com

LATEST TECHNOLOGY...

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Upload your images to our online gallery for the chance to seethem published in Photography Monthly. As well as the Readers’Gallery, we are looking for a striking image for the front cover ofour October issue – could your photo be the one?

Upload your images at www.photographymonthly.com


SEE YOUR IMAGESIN PRINT!

PAUL CULLEN

GO ONLINE

UPLOAD TO OUR PM GALLERIES

Paul CullenAmble Pier, NorthumberlandSony DSLR A900Sigma AF APO 28-105mm

PM_FILLER:Layout 1 27/07/2011 17:19 Page 79


THE TRUTH ABOUTWhen it comes to being photographed, animals are liable to act in an eyecatching way when you leastexpect it. However, with patience and understanding you can create pet portraits to be proud of.Award-winning pet photographer PAUL WALKER explains how to create animal images with a difference

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et photography once conjured up

images of cats and dogs sitting

on tartan blankets or wicker

chairs in a studio against a background of

clouds. However, the main objectives of

any portrait are to display the subject’s

likeness, mood and personality, and pets

are usually at their best in familiar

surroundings, rather than in a studio.

When choosing a location do bear in mind

that it plays a key role in the final image.

On the next page Paul shows how these

and other images illustrate different

aspects of a successful animal portrait.

P

� Nikon D3� 50mm f/1.8� 28-70mm� 70-200mm

WHAT’S INYOUR KIT

BAG?

Ayrshire-based Paul

Walker’s passion for

photographing pets goes

back to his early childhood

in Yorkshire. Inspired by

photographers such as John Drysdale and

Elliott Erwitt, he made photography his

full-time profession in 2003. He was

commissioned by Ilex Press in 2008 to write

the bestselling guide Pet Photography Now!

He has just been named Scottish Master Pet

Photographer of the Year for the fourth time

in succession and also hosts pet photography

training workshops.www.facebook.com/PawsPetPhotography

BIOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHING PETS PAUL WALKER

TECHNIQUES


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Before you pick up thecamera consider whatmakes your pet differentand how you can portraythese elements. If your pethas certain traits specificto its breed you may liketo emphasise them, orperhaps your pet isnaturally playful or lazy.Once you have taken thisinto account the trick is indeciding on the best timeto capture a particularmood or expression andhow to do it.


Always shoot in RAW, asthis will enable you toadjust the white balance,contrast and saturationwithout sacrificing overallquality. It is also beneficialfor any minor adjustmentin exposure, which canbe particularly difficultto get right in-camerawhen photographingblack-and-white pets.But do not rely on RAW tocorrect everything, andtry to get as much aspossible right in-camerafrom the outset.

Utilise natural light asmuch as possible and onlywhen it is limited look atcontinuous light sourcesor, as a last resort, flash.The use of flash is oftendistracting and unsettlingfor pets and may make thephotography much moredifficult. If you areshooting indoors try tochoose a room with asmuch available naturallight as possible.Sometimes this mayrequire the use of fasterlenses or any lens at itswidest possible aperture.

Don’t be afraid to increasethe ISO. Yes, it may resultin a grainier image, but ifyou capture a greatmoment which is clearand sharp, it is betterthan being disappointedbecause the photographis blurred due to slightmovements by the pet.You may decide toeliminate the grain inPhotoshop, but extra graincan sometimes enhancea black-and-white imageby adding texture for afine art appeal.

Add context to a photographby capturing the bondbetween the owner and pet.A candid approach of themplaying or snoozing canportray character and evokeemotion. A classic imagethat features strong lightingand composition will standthe test of time, so try toavoid cheesy props andPhotoshop techniques thatwill soon look dated.

Check the first few imageson the back of your DSLRscreen for exposure, but beaware that the more timeyou spend reviewing images,the more likely you are tomiss a great opportunity.Just keep observing andshooting where necessary,yet remember it’s aboutquality, not quantity.

Animals can be simplecreatures whose actionsare often a consequence ofthe strongest stimulusthey are given. You mayhave to motivate the pet byusing treats or toys to getthe behaviour you arelooking for. Try to work outwhat the strongestmotivation is for that petin a given environment,at that precise moment.Once this is sorted out,you may be able tomanipulate their behaviour.

You can always eliminatea distracting backgroundby cropping tightlyin-camera. Look forinteresting features andcharacteristics to fill theframe. If your pet likes tomove around a lot,a telephoto zoom lens maybe beneficial so you canmaintain a good distanceand let them continueacting in a natural way.

For more inspiration visit Paul’s site atwww.pawspetphotography.co.uk

EVALUATE YOUR PET’SCHARACTER

THE POWER OF RAW

USE NATURAL LIGHT

FREEZE THE ACTION

MOTIVATION

KEEP SHOOTING

LIFESTYLE

GET IN CLOSE

SEE THENEXT PAGE

FOR YOUR CHANCETO WIN A COPY OF

PAUL’S DVD, ANINTRODUCTION TOSHOOTING DOGS

PHOTOGRAPHING PETS PAUL WALKER

TECHNIQUES



For your chance to win a copy of photographer Paul Walker’sDVD, An Introduction to Shooting Dogs, worth £60, uploadyour best pet pictures to the Photography Monthly gallery.

In this DVD, Paul, who gave us his advice on photographing petsin the previous feature, goes on a puppy and adult dog shoot toexplore the methods of photographing on location. The choices

of camera kit and shooting methods are explained ingreat detail in real and unrehearsed location situations.

TAKINGPICTURES

WIN!

To enter and for full terms and conditions, visit www.photographymonthly.com

Mick BrinkmannBurnin’ snow

Will PapworthRacing dog

JEFF MEYER — EDITORPHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY

My cat Eddie is notoriously lazy, andafter a long spell of rainy days he foundthis small patch of light in the grass onemorning. After trying a few shots froma window overhead, I realised an eye-levelone would best capture his absolute bliss.

SIMON REYNOLDS — SUB-EDITORPHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY

It was spot the difference time during avisit to a farm shop in the Cotswolds whenwe saw this dog and its lookalike wiresculpture. It was too good an opportunityto miss, and the real dog obligingly stayedstock still while I took the image.

REBECCA STEAD — ART EDITORPROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER

I could watch my parents’ chickens forhours and, seeing as they do not domuch, I thought it would be easy to geta photo. It turned out to be a lot moredifficult and this is the best one out of30 I ended up taking.

PM TEAM PICTURES

PM_SEPT_READERSCHALLENGE:Layout 1 26/07/2011 17:38 Page 84

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PETS

READERS’ CHALLENGE

UPLOAD TO OUR GALLERY TO WIN PRIZES


READERS’ PICTURES

John StarkeyReggie

Andrew CliffordEverything’s new

Sue MacdonaldMolly II

KAREN LE GALLEZ—DESIGNERPHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY

I took this picture with a Fujifilm FinePixS6500: a quiet moment in a normallycrazy household. The fact that Blue wasnot even aware of me taking the snapleaves me wondering just what she wasthinking about.

KELLY WEECH— FEATURES ASSISTANTPHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY

I took this image recently of my newkitten using a Canon EOS 5D and 85mm,f/1.8 lens. I love the bokeh of this lenswhich is ideal for portraits and low light.I used spot metering to ensure correctexposure from back lighting.

JESSICA LAMB— EDITORIAL ASSISTANTPHOTOGRAPHY MONTHLY

Whenever I visit my family in north WalesI enjoy photographing the scenery andthe gorgeous Falabella miniature horsesthat my mum keeps. This photographof little Peaches was taken on a sunnyafternoon using a Leica DSLR.

Alex FalcaoMaya

For more readers’ images visit the website atwww.photographymonthly.com

PM_SEPT_READERSCHALLENGE:Layout 1 27/07/2011 09:51 Page 85

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REMEMBERING BRIAN DUFFY

THELIFEOF Brian Duffy was a highlysuccessful photographer whonotoriously quit and burnedhis negatives. DAVID CLARKtalks to Duffy’s son, Chris,about re-establishing hisfather’s neglected reputationBRIAN


rian Duffy was one of a newgeneration of confident,streetwise and undeniably

talented young photographers whoemerged in the early 1960s. Togetherwith the two other members of whatNorman Parkinson referred to as‘The Black Trinity’ – David Bailey andTerence Donovan – he establishedhimself as one of the leadingphotographers of the period. �

B

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David Bowie, Aladdin Sane, 1973.

DAVID CLARK

INTERVIEW

PM_SEPT_CHRIS_DUFFY:Layout 1 25/07/2011 12:58 Page 87


His fashion and portrait images regularlyappeared in high-profile publications such asElle, Vogue, Queen and the Sunday Times,and he shot groundbreaking advertisingcampaigns for Smirnoff and Benson &Hedges. He shot Pirelli calendar images and

iconic album covers such as David Bowie’sAladdin Sane (see image page 87). Duffy, ashe was always called, was temperamental,uncompromising and often difficult to workwith, but his talents were always in demand.

Then, one extraordinary day in 1979,an over-stressed Duffy decided to bringhis career to a sudden end. In an act ofself-destruction which passed intophotographic legend, he asked his studiostaff to leave and then began burning

piles of his negatives in his garden.He only stopped when a local council

official intervened, following neighbours’complaints about the clouds of acrid,black smoke his bonfire was generating.

SMIRNOFF VODKA SKY DIVERS ADVERTISEMENT, 1978“To shoot this image,” explains Chris, “we went to an airfield in Yorkshire. At one edge was a bluff with a40ft drop, overlooking theDales. At the bottom we had four scaffolding poles erected with flat metal plates welded to the tops of them.“We had hired a local skydiving team, plus a model in a diving suit with a snorkel and flippers, and we winched them on to the flat

plates. They were40ft off the ground without any safety harnesses. By today’s health and safety standards you’d literally be arrestedfor doing something like that.“Underneath them, we had a propeller on a trailer attached to a Volkswagen engine. It gave a tremendous wind output and we pointed

it straight upwards at the skydivers. As their clothes were being blown upwards, along with the red flare smoke, this made it look asthough they were falling.“Duffy only exposed a couple of rolls of film before we whizzed back down to London. After getting the best frame printed up, we had

the poles retouched out to complete the illusion. When it was printed in magazines and on advertising hoardings, everyone was amazed.This was long before Photoshop and people couldn’t work out how we’d done it.”

In spectacular fashion, Duffy’s successful andlucrative career was over and much of what hehad achieved had been destroyed.In the 10 years that followed, Duffy turned to

directing commercials, before in turnabandoning this second career and headingin a completely different direction: he beganan antique furniture restoration business,eventually becoming one of the world’s leadingexperts in the field.By the turn of the 21st century, his

photographs had largely disappeared from viewand were available only in old issues ofmagazines. There were no books of his work orprints available to buy and he avoidedinterviews. Duffy’s reputation as a brilliantimage-maker was becoming a distant memoryand it seemed that this was what he wanted.However, at the beginning of 2010, Duffy

unexpectedly resurfaced in a documentary �

DUFFY’S REPUTATION AS A BRILLIANT IMAGE-MAKERWAS BECOMING A DISTANT MEMORY AND IT SEEMEDTHAT THIS WAS WHAT HE WANTED.


www.downmagaz.com



Contact sheet of actor Michael Caine, 1964.

REMEMBERING BRIAN DUFFY DAVID CLARK

INTERVIEW



film shown on BBC television, The Man WhoShot the 60s. Then aged 76, Duffy was showntalking about his work and even gettingbehind the camera to shoot portraits of someof his earlier subjects, including actressJoanna Lumley and film producer Lord(David) Puttnam.There was, though, a sad reason for this

sudden reappearance: Duffy had a fataldegenerative lung condition, pulmonaryfibrosis, which he believed had beencontracted by inhaling the mercury or goldvapours that he had used in furniturerestoration. His awareness that timewas running out had spurred him to mounthis first-ever gallery show, a careerretrospective at the Chris Beetles Galleryin London.Duffy had been persuaded to re-engage

with photography by his son, Chris, whowas also a photographer. “When Duffybecame ill, around 2004, he realised that itwas time to do something with what was leftof his archive,” Chris says. “I had been askinghim to sort it out for years but he wouldalways say, ‘When I fall off the perch it’s allyours.’ But I said, ‘Dad, that’s all very well,but you’ve got all the back stories onthe pictures; you know who’s in them.’”At that point, with his father’s assistance,

Chris began the long, slow process ofrecovering and organising Duffy’s remainingwork. After many years of neglect, thearchive was in disarray. Sometimes Chrisfound negatives but no contact sheets, and

other times contact sheets but no negatives.Clearly, though, a lot had gone up in flames.“As I went through the archives, I found

there were big chunks missing,” he says.“I often have sleepless nights worrying aboutwhat great images disappeared.”To continue the process of tracking down

Duffy’s images, Chris began approachingarchives of the advertising clients,newspapers and magazines for which Duffyhad worked. It was painstaking andtime-consuming work, but finally the best ofDuffy’s photography was assembled forthe exhibition in October 2009, shortlybefore his death in May 2010.Now, to celebrate the publication of the

first book of Duffy’s work, a more extensiveexhibition of his images is on show at theIdea Generation Gallery in east London.The book contains a wide selection of

Duffy’s work and these images display hisrestless talent for visual invention and

Beatle John Lennon, 1965.

Prime Minister Harold Wilson, 1966.

HIS AWARENESS THAT TIME WAS RUNNING OUTHAD SPURRED HIM TO MOUNT HIS FIRST-EVERGALLERY SHOW, A CAREER RETROSPECTIVE AT

THE CHRIS BEETLES GALLERY IN LONDON.


www.downmagaz.com



his unerring eye for creating innovative,eye-catching images across the contrastingphotographic disciplines in which he worked.Chris, who began his career as an assistant

to his father in 1973, remembers the freneticpace and variety of work which Duffyundertook. “We were working six days a week,sometimes two jobs a day,” he says.

“One week we would be in Scotland doing anad for Citroën, then the next we would be inthe Seychelles doing a hair ad for Pantene,followed by the Caribbean doing a shoot forVogue, then travel back to London where wewere doing something for the Sunday Times.It was crazy.”David Bailey has commented that “Duffy

and aggravation go together like gin & tonic,”and Chris agrees that assisting his father wasa demanding experience. “He was difficult towork with because his brain didn’t work in alinear sense,” says Chris. “He would come upwith an idea but it would almost alwayscompletely change by the time you’d lit it orwere about to shoot it.“Sometimes sets were built and shot

several times before he was satisfied with thefinal images. I think he was always trying topush himself and his technique; he was a realperfectionist. He despised mediocrity anddidn’t allow it in himself.”Looking at Duffy’s images today, it seems

extraordinary that so many of them havebeen out of the public eye for so long.Chris explains that this has happened partlydue to a change in the way photography isperceived. “When Duffy was working,photographic prints didn’t have any real

The Duffy exhibition continues until28 August 2011 at the Idea GenerationGallery, 11 Chance Street, London E2 7JB.Visit www.ideageneration.co.uk forfurther details. Duffy,, the first bookdevoted to the photographer’s work, ispublished by ACC Editions, priced £45, ISBN: 978-1851496570. To order a copycall 01394 389977 or go online atwww.accpublishinggroup.com. For moreinformation about Duffy and to view thedocumentary The Man Who Shot the 60s,go to www.duffyphotographer.com

DUFFY’S WORK ON SHOW

value,” he says. “As far as he was concerned,he was just doing a job and when he finishedone thing he moved on to the next. It’s onlyduring the past 15 years or so that printshave become valuable.”This throwaway attitude towards

photography partly explains why Duffydestroyed work that would now sell for large

sums of money. However, Chrisbelieves that although Duffylater regretted burning thework, he had no regrets aboutabandoning photography.“He ended up on a treadmill,

turning over money to supporta studio and lost his focus andthe passion that got him intophotography,” Chris says.“His view was that he

had said all he wanted to say,but I think he also saw thewriting on the wall. He realisedhow photography was going to get inundated with people, how the money would drop and thequality would get diluted, so hedecided to stop.”Chris’s determination to

bring his father’s archive backinto the public eye has createdgreat interest in Duffy’s workand re-established him as oneof the great photographers ofthe 1960s and 1970s. Meanwhile,the process of rediscovering thework continues; more of Duffy’simages are still emerging fromarchives and further books of hiswork are already planned. �

Pirelli Calendar 2,

1973.

American novelist William S. Burroughs, 1960.

HE WOULD COME UP WITH AN IDEA BUT IT WOULD ALMOSTALWAYS COMPLETELY CHANGE BYTHE TIME YOU’D LIT IT OR WEREABOUT TO SHOOT IT.

REMEMBERING BRIAN DUFFY DAVID CLARK

INTERVIEW



GOONLINEFor more advice and

techniques from the prosvisit the website atwww.photographymonthly.com

� Brian and Chris Duffy.� Snail and eye, 1957.�Richard Hunter, privatedetective, 1973.

ALTHOUGH HE DID COMMERCIALWORK, DUFFY REMAINED ANARTIST AND ALWAYS DID THINGSHIS WAY...

INTERVIEW

DAVID CLARK REMEMBERING BRIAN DUFFY

The process of recoveringwhat is left of Duffy’s work hasbeen long and painstaking,but also rewarding; Chris saysthat examining the work indetail has only increasedthe admiration he has for whathis father achieved.

“Although he did commercialwork, Duffy remained an artistand always did things his way,”Chris says. “He was unique.What’s really noticeable is thathe stopped at a point when hewas really at the top of hisgame. There was no fall-off inquality. He kept doing goodpictures right to the end.” PM


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G When Fujifilm released the FinePix X100 earlier this year, opinions were divided aboutthe much-anticipated retro-styled camera. Now that the world has had time to live withit, we decided to take another look and asked photographer ANDREW LARKING,one of the first people to get their hands on the X100, whether it was worth £1,000

FINEPIXTHAT’S ANOTHER

YOU’VE GOT ME INTO

“I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE GETHUNG UP ON BEING ABLE TOCHANGE LENSES, BUT A LOT OFPHOTOGRAPHERS I KNOWHAVE ONE OR TWO LENSESTHEY ALWAYS USE.”

PM_SEPT_FUJI_X100:Layout 1 25/07/2011 13:17 Page 94

www.downmagaz.com



Why did you choose the X100?I am a documentary photographer and havebeen working on the street with DSLRs for thepast five or six years. Recently I have wantedsomething a lot smaller, lighter and quieter. I amstarting to photograph in places that are veryquiet, where you can’t use a giant, noisy DSLR.I’ve used Leicas all these years, so I startedlooking into the CSC market because I would beable to mount my lenses on them, in particularthe Olympus PEN and the Sony NEX range.The problem I had with these cameras was thebuild quality. I need my cameras to work infairly harsh conditions and they are not alwaystreated that well. I have to say Fujifilm took careof the FinePix X100’s design and build, usingmetals instead of plastics.

Nobody got to try out the X100 before itsrelease, so buying one was a bit of a gamble, butfrom everything I was seeing and reading aboutthe camera, it made sense. I even spoke toFujifilm a few times and everything I was beingtold added up to the X100 being a good punt.I shoot 35mm or the equivalent all the time, sothe fact it was a fixed lens didn’t really matter.I think a lot of people get hung up on being ableto change lenses, but a lot of photographers Iknow have one or two lenses they always use.So knowing that it was coming out with a 35mmeffective lens meant it was perfect for me. �

Andrew began photographing

commercially at the age of 17

for the Shropshire Star

newspaper. After college

studies he became a freelance

photographer and got his

pictures into national newspapers as well as shooting

weddings. Today he works in software development and

shoots weddings, corporate work and on the streets.

His latest project is a book showing how charities and

shelters help the homeless.www.andrewlarking.co.uk

BIOGRAPHY

Kinetic water sculpture, the South Bank, London.The camera did a wonderful job metering this image. I usuallyguess exposure, but the X100 deserves full credit.

ANDREW LARKING

INTERVIEW

FUJIFILM FINEPIX X100 – IS IT WORTH IT?


www.downmagaz.com


You could tell that the company hadlooked at the rise of street and documentaryphotography, and had made a camera to suitit, which is why everyone suddenly wantedone. People were saying this was the camerafor me. It was taking amazing quality images;the ISO performance looked unbeatablefor this amount of money. It had the lens

I wanted and the styling as well. I wasthinking that there was no reason not to ownit, so I paid for one three months before itwas released because I wanted it on the dayit came out. Now I carry the X100 with mewherever I go and tend to use it more thanany of my other cameras.

What are the good things about thecamera?The best thing about the X100 is thefull manual control; the fact that I havean aperture ring, shutter speed dial and


compensation dial. I don’t have to go intoany of the menus to change anything,which I like. The camera has a good, tactilefeel. When the X100 arrived, I took it outand captured shots without having to changeanything. I instantly knew how it workedand have never read the manual.Even the ISO shift is a button on the topand a dial to change it. You can use thiscamera all day long without having to look ata screen. In fact, I would like a versionwithout a screen at all.The optical viewfinder is also beautiful –

the best I have ever used on any camera. It isthe clearest and brightest I have seen, evenin bright light, and the overlays you get withit are incredible. I believe someone is goingto have to go a long way to beat it.Image quality is amazing. Something that I

noticed with compact system cameras, evenwith Leica glass on them, was the bigdifference in the images I was gettingcompared with those from DSLRs. It wasn’tjust me who could see the difference, clientsdid as well, and they included the nationalpress and assorted charities.The test I did on the X100 was to take

straight RAW images from the camera, alongwith RAW images from a Nikon D3 and NikonD7000, and send them to online digitalprinter PhotoBox to get back as A1 posters.I put them in a room and asked somephotographers to tell me which ones camefrom which camera, and which print reallygrabbed them. They couldn’t tell thedifference. What’s more, the colours of theX100 straight out of the camera have somuch punch, which other cameras don’t give.The RAW files are big at 19MB and have somuch latitude for play that you can get a lotout of them. In fact you need not worry

“YOU CAN USE THISCAMERA ALL DAYLONG WITHOUTHAVING TO LOOKAT A SCREEN.”

about exposure all that much; simply get itall back in RAW.Something else you’ve got is the high ISO

performance. I shoot a lot at ISO 3200 or6400, mainly because I am lazy, and tend tobe always on the move when shooting, so Ilike fast shutter speeds; I wouldn’t be able todo that on any other camera and get thequality the X100 provides. You can get noise-free images at 6400, blow up an image andprint it at gallery-size, and yet this is acamera you can put in your pocket.

What are some of its downsides?I find the manual focus impossible to use.The autofocus is good if you are takingpictures of things that don’t move, but if youare trying to shoot anything quickly on thestreet it cannot keep up. This has meant Ihave had to change the way I shoot byadopting a method of pre-guessing the zoneof focus. I know the kind of shot I want totake, so I can work out how close I want to beand simply set the distance to 2m or 0.5m,and hope the image is going to be in focuswhen I go in for the shot. But you also geta large depth of field with this approach, sothere is a safety net.There are a few other niggles with

firmware which could be fixed, such as thebright light lag issue. In bright light theaperture blades will stop down, then open,stop down again and then take the shot.They do the operation twice, so you geta quarter of a second lag, something youhave to factor in when taking a shot.These are firmware problems and Fujifilmhas promised to fix them.The battery life is poor at about 200 shots

so I carry five batteries with me for a fullday’s shooting. I never turn it off or let it �

The X100 gives you the confidence toget in close with subjects who wouldprobably not like a big DSLR pointedat them from 3ft away.

LSE, London. Shot from the hip using a pre-setguessed focal distance and exposure.

ANDREW LARKING

INTERVIEW

FUJIFILM FINEPIX X100 – IS IT WORTH IT?


OTHER OPTIONS:

For more news and reviews visit our sitewww.photographymonthly.com

Leica X1The Leica X1 is a 12.2MPcompact with a 36mmfixed lens working with an APS-C sized(23.6 x 15.8mm) CMOS sensor. This setupoffers a 3:2 aspect ratio and similar imagequality to a DSLR. There’s also a full rangeof advanced controls, frommanualexposure to manual focus. Other featuresinclude an ISO 100-3200 sensitivity rangeand maximum shutter speed of 1/2,000sec.An impressive camera, but then it needs tobe with an RRP of £1,425.

Olympus PEN E-P3The PEN E-P3 isOlympus’s flagshipcompact system camera, withwhat it claims is the world’s fastest AFwhen used with its Movie Stills Compatibleoptics. It has a 12.3MP live MOS sensor andsensitivity reaches from ISO 200 to12,800. Continuous shooting is relativelyslow at 3fps, but there is the multipleexposure function to RAW file as found onprevious models. Flash is now included onwhat many consider the best-looking CSC.Prices start from £799.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3Panasonic’s latest entry tothe CSC market is theworld’s smallest and lightestsystem camera. A Micro FourThirds 12.1MP Live MOS sensoris capable of capturing AVCHD Full HDmovies (1080i, sensor output 25fps), withDolby sound. The GF3 has built-in flashand high-speed burst shooting at4fps. Theprice with the 14-42mm kit lens is £499.

Sony NEX-5Packing a 14.2MP sensor,this little camera canaccommodate E-series lensesas well as Sony-mount digital SLR andthird-party ones, provided you get theright adapter. This makes it an interestingproposition because of the increasedrange of good glass available, includingrare finds on the second-hand market.The NEX-5 has 1080i High Definition videoand the Sweep Panorama function with3D. High-speed shooting at 7fps is alsoavailable. There’s a wide range of exposuremodes, including aperture and shutterpriority modes, plus manual. RRP is £559.


go into standby; I want it ready. It’s quick toswitch on, though. If you see a shot coming,and turn it on, as you move the camera toyour eye it will be ready for you by the timeyou’re looking through the viewfinder – if youhave the correct SD card, that is. The X100needs fast memory such as SanDisk Procards. The system runs better with them soI suggest investing in good memory.

Is it doing what you wanted it to?It is and the changes I have had to make tothe way I shoot are because I have got lazy,so it’s making me think a lot more about theimages I take because the camera is notdoing everything for me. That’s good.It’s giving me better image quality than Iexpected; it’s light, it’s fast, it’s absolutelysilent and it’s got the best viewfinder I’veever used. Every piece of technology hasbugs, but you forget about these becausethe X100 has so many plus points. I wasthinking about selling the camera two weeksafter I bought it, but I persevered andrealised that it does everything I wanted, soI wouldn’t sell mine now.

What’s your verdict?The X100 is a camera you buy and use withyour heart just as much as your head. If youare all head, you won’t like this camera.In many ways it is nowhere near as capableas a DSLR, but a DSLR has no soul. The X100has soul and you will grow attached to it.It will frustrate you sometimes, butwill always make you smile. And it's fun.I think the closing line for me should be

this: no other camera has got me out on thestreets, shooting for fun, as much as theX100. Every owner I’ve spoken to has saidexactly the same thing. The build quality ofthe camera is impressive. I have droppedmine a couple of times and it doesn’t care,but simply carries on going. I know onephotographer who dropped his X100 ina pond, where it was completely submerged.He took it home and dried it out using silicapads, and it’s working now. You couldn’t dothat with many other cameras.The Fujifilm FinePix X100 may be

expensive, and technically it may not be £1k’sworth of metal, but it’s certainly £1k’s worthof fun. PM

“I FIND THE MANUAL FOCUSIMPOSSIBLE TO USE.

THE AUTOFOCUS IS GOOD IF YOUARE TAKING PICTURES OF THINGS

THAT DON’T MOVE, BUT IF YOUARE TRYING TO SHOOT

ANYTHING QUICKLY ON THESTREET IT CANNOT KEEP UP.”

King’s Road, London. From acontinuing series about dogs.

A high ISO test, shot at6400 and still clean at

20in x 16in. The X100 is theking of high ISO, as shown

in the 100% crop, left.

INTERVIEW

ANDREW LARKING FUJIFILM FINEPIX X100 – IS IT WORTH IT?


www.downmagaz.com



NEXT MONTH IN PM...ON SALE FROM 7 SEPTEMBER

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� While reasonable care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in Photography Monthly, that information is obtained from a variety of sources and neither the publisher,the printers nor any distributor is responsible for errors or omissions. All prices and data are accepted by us in good faith as being correct at the time of going to press.Pound conversion rates correct at the time of going to press. Advertisements are accepted for publication in Photography Monthly only upon Archant Specialist’s standard Termsof Acceptance of Advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising department. All advertisements of which the content is in whole or in part the work ofArchant Specialist remain the copyright of Archant Specialist. Reproduction in whole or in part of any matter appearing in Photography Monthly is forbidden except by expresspermission of the publisher.

Competition terms and conditions: � The closing date for competitions/giveaways is displayed alongside the competition/giveaway online.� Employees of Archant Specialist, and thoseprofessionally connected with the competition/giveaway, for example, employees of the sponsor company, are not eligible to enter.� Unless otherwise stated, competitions/giveawaysare only open to UK residents.� Prizes are as described and no alternatives can be given.� The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.� ArchantSpecialist may wish to contact you in the future, or pass your details to selected third parties, to introduce new products and services to you. If you are sending your entry by text anddo not wish to be contacted, please add the word ‘NO’ to the end of your text message. If you are sending your entry by post, please tick the appropriate boxes on the entry form.

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The secrets of subtle HDR

We ask, 'Whatever happened to the familyphoto album?'

PLUS MUCH, MUCH MORE...

WILD BRITAIN: learn how to re-createlocal pond life in small tanks

We test two new offerings fromLOMO and give you the chance tojoin a Lomography workshop

Get to grips with using backlighting

Meet the photographer who spent 20 yearsdocumenting the Cairngorms in Scotland

PAUL

HOBSON

PM_SEPT_CNM:Layout 1 27/07/2011 12:21 Page 99

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PHOTO GEARSTAY UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST GIZMOS AND GADGETS

Here you will find the news and reviewsof the latest products. Each month wewill provide you with real and honestequipment reviews to ensure you makethe right investment

GOONLINEFor more gear reviews

and advice visitwww.photographymonthly.com

IN THIS SECTION102 GEAR NEWSAll the latest product announcements

104-111 ON TEST: CANON EOS 600Dvs NIKON D5100 SHOOT-OUTWe put the latest upper entry-level DSLRsfrom Nikon and Canon through their paces

112-116 SAVE, SPEND & SPLURGEDo more with your images! Printing optionsranging from budget to breaking the bank

130 F-STOPDavid Ward discusses quantity versus quality

PM_SEPT_GEAR_COVER:Layout 1 27/07/2011 14:18 Page 101


PM TEAM

GEAR

NEW KIT ON THE BLOCK

NIKON SURPRISES WITH40MM F/2.8 MACRONikon has updated its range of DX-formatmacro lenses with a new40mm f/2.8. With a1:1 reproduction ratio, the new AF-S DX MicroNikkor40mm f/2.8G weighs approximately235g and comes equipped with Nikon’s Silent

Wave Motor for quiet autofocus and a closefocusing distance of 0.163mm.The40mm f/2.8 joins the AF-S DX Nikkor85mm f/3.5 in Nikon’s DX-format (APS-C)range of macro lenses. Priced at £249.99, the40mm f/2.8 comes with a lens hood and softlens case. http://tinyurl.com/3qt4soj

PM SAYS: Nikon surprised many of itsfaithful followers who were perhaps expectinga fast wide-angle prime. Essentially a DXversion of the popular FX-format 60mmf/2.8G, this is a great option (at a great price)for someone who shoots only DX. Our onlyconcern is that it might be too shortfor macro. Stay tuned for a full test.

SONY SLIMS DOWN WITHDSC-TX55Sony has unveiled the ultimate in pocket cameras withits razor-thin Cyber-shot DSC-TX55. At just 12.2mmdeep, the Sony TX55 claims to be the thinnest compactcamera yet, offering 16MP resolution and 5x opticalzoom, extendable to 10x using Sony’s ‘By Pixel SuperResolution’ technology. Other features include full HDvideo recording, 3D shooting and micro SD/SDHCmemory cards. A minimalist body features only threebuttons and a 3.3in, 1.2-million-dot OLED touchscreenon the back. Pricing had not been announced atthe time of writing. http://tinyurl.com/3vlw5ho

PANASONIC BRIDGECAMERA OFFERS 24X ZOOMPanasonic’s latest bridge camera, the LumixDMC-FZ48, has a 24x optical zoom – a focalrange equivalent to an impressive 25-600mm.Using Panasonic’s intelligent zoom function,users can extend the 24x optical zoom toa 32x equivalent. Panasonic has added itsBlack Box NanoSurface Coating to theFZ48’s Leica DCVARIO-ELMARIT lens,which it claims reducesghosting and flare,while the camera alsoincorporates the LumixG3’s Creative Controlpicture effects.The 12.1MP FZ48 can

record full HD videoand gives the option ofshooting manually.Pricing had not been announced at the timeof writing. http://tinyurl.com/452xl4y

EDITOR’S PICK:While the past month has seen a rash ofexciting new gear, of most interest to me hasbeen Blurb’s new service allowing users tomake 7x 7in square-format books from theirInstagram photos.The self-publishing firm says the new

service will automatically increase theresolution of all camera phone images toensure high print quality, and users canchoose from three cover types and fivedifferent papers. Prices start at under £7.Considering recent figures from Flickr

showing that the iPhone4 is the most popularcamera among its members, this seems likea shrewd move on Blurb’s part. It could bringthe joy of making photo books and havingphysical prints to a brand new audience.If you’re a fan of photo books, check out our

roundup of some popular options beginning onpage 112 of this issue.http://www.blurb.com/apps/instagram

SAMSUNG UNVEILSHIGH-PERFORMANCEMEMORY CARDSSamsung’s shock-, water- andmagnet-proof Plus andEssential ranges of SDHC/SDand micro SDHC/SD cards giveread speeds of 24MB/s.

Plus cards have the highestavailable class 10 speed rating,with write speeds of up to 21MB/sin 8GB or 16GB storage capacities.The Essential cards have a Class4 or 6 rating, withwrite speeds of up to 13MB/s in 2GB to 16GBcapacities. Prices at http://tinyurl.com/3u5p7gf

OLYMPUS GOES 36XWIDE WITH SP-810UZNot to be outdone byPanasonic’s 24x zoom LumixDMC-FZ48, Olympus hasunveiled a 14MP super-zoomwith a huge 24-864mmequivalent focal length.

The SP-810UZ offers Dual Image Stabilisationfor fast-moving subjects, 720p HD video recording,a 3in LCD, 3D photo shooting and a range ofcreative filters. The Olympus SP-810UZ is pricedat £230. http://tinyurl.com/3qosuca

PETROL SPARKS FIREWITH TWO NEW BAGSPetrol Bags’s Dr. DSLR, pictured,comes equipped withan internal LED light toilluminate the interior,which holds a DSLR,spare lenses anda range of accessories.Twin brackets also connectto Petrol Bags’s Snaplockwheel and trolley system.The Dr. DSLR is priced at £180.

The new 2-in-1 Rollpak, priced at £270, providesan extendable handle to convert the bag frombackpack to camera trolley. Aimed atprofessionals, it also features a padded rearpocket designed to hold a laptop with a 17inscreen. http://dslr.petrolbags.com/Products PM

GOONLINEFor more gear newsand advice visit

www.photographymonthly.com

PM_SEPT_GEAR_NEWS:Layout 1 27/07/2011 15:41 Page 102

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Earlier this year Canon and Nikon served up a much-needed refresh of theirentry-level DSLR lineups. Boasting a rash of new features that have trickleddown from the more advanced DSLRs in their range, the Canon EOS600D andNikon D5100 offer photographers in this market a creative control thatthey haven’t had before. But with similar spec sheets, which camera shouldyou choose? We put both of them through their pacesPPIICCTTUURREESS AANNDD WWOORRDDSS BBYYMATT GOLOWCZYNSKI

CANON EOS 600D VS NIKON D5100

PM_CANON_V_NIKON:Layout 1 25/07/2011 13:10 Page 104

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anon’s EOS600D and Nikon’s D5100

may each descend from a line of

successful entry-level DSLRs, but

with each now supported by a more junior

model in its respective range the pair are left

to target a more advanced audience.

In addition to their high-resolution sensors,

each arrives with a highly specified LCD

screen and HD video functionality, not to

mention a bevy of recording, processing and

customisation options. With such similar

specifications they are likely to be seen as

natural competitors and, given the heritage of

each brand, they will naturally attract a lot of

interest, but are they equally as impressive or

does one clearly outgun the other?

FEATURESConsidering its upper entry-level billing,

Canon has been generous with the 600D’s

specifications and it actually seems as though

you’re getting something of a bargain.

Its 18MP CMOS sensor matches the more

expensive EOS60D for resolution and both

are supported by the same DIGIC4

processing engine. This is also true of the

Nikon’s D5100, with both its 16.2MP CMOS

sensor and EXPEED 2 processor inherited

from the D7000, along with a few nifty extras

such as an interval timer for time-lapse

recording and multiple exposure function,

neither of which is offered by the 600D.

The 600D manages to better the 60D’s

3in articulated LCD screen with a slightly

wider viewing angle and the bonus of an

anti-smudge coating. At 1,040,000 dots it

also has the joint highest resolution for an

LCD screen on any DSLR, an honour shared

only with its EOS stablemates. The D5100’s

screen comfortably matches the 600D in

practically all areas apart from resolution,

where its 921,000-dot LCD is slightly behind;

whether this difference comes across in use,

however, is something we’ll find out later on.

RIVALS

BOTH CAMERAS HAVE FULLHD MOVIE RECORDING,WITH VARIABLE FRAMERATES UP TO 29.97FPSAND THE PROVISION OFA SOCKET ON EACH FOREXTERNAL STEREOMICROPHONES.

At around £650 with their respective kit lenses,

the Canon EOS 600D and Nikon D5100 go up

against a number of DSLRs and Compact System

Cameras, such as Sony’s A580 and Panasonic’s

Lumix G3. The extensive system support by way

of lenses and accessories makes the two big

names appealing, although with so much

competition you can generally find a handful of

smaller and cheaper alternatives which may be

better suited to your needs.

Both cameras have full HD movie recording,

with variable frame rates up to 29.97fps and

the provision of a socket on each for external

stereo microphones. Canon has also fleshed

out the 600D’s movie functionality with

a Video Snapshot mode, which captures short

video clips before automatically stitching

them together, and a Movie Digital Zoom

option, which crops the sensor up to 10x

while still promising to maintain full HD

quality. Similarly, the D5100 allows for movies

to be treated with effects such as Miniature

and High-key in-camera (which also applies

to its images), and even for frames to

be lifted out of a piece of footage and

saved as JPEGs.

In a number of other areas the D5100

appears to outgun its rival, at least on paper.

Both cameras, for example, allow a standard

sensitivity range of ISO 100-6400, with the

600D offering an additional setting equivalent

to ISO 12,800. The D5100 not only matches

this, but also betters it with a further Hi2

option equivalent to ISO 25,600.

Likewise, the D5100’s 11-point focusing

system has two extra points over the 600D’s

nine-point module, although both share

a cross-type central point for improved

sensitivity. The D5100 also has a burst rate up

to4fps next to the 600D’s 3.7fps, although

Nikon makes it clear that such speeds are

influenced by shutter speed, processing

options, focus mode etc. In any case, the

difference isn’t substantial.

As is fairly typical on such models, both

cameras offer pentamirror viewfinders, each

with a coverage of 0.95x. With a slightly �

Canon EOS 600D – Mode dial Nikon - Mode dial

MATT GOLOWCZYNSKI

GEAR

CANON EOS 600D V NIKON D5100

Panasonic Lumix G3

Sony A580

C



TECHNICAL SPEC: CANON EOS 600D

� SENSOR 22.3 x 14.9mm (APS-C)CMOS type, 18.7MPtotal, 18MP effective

� CROP FACTOR FOCAL Approx 1.6xLENGTH CONVERSION

� VIDEO RESOLUTION MOV format, 1,920 x1,080 (at 29.97, 25,23.976fps), 1,280 x720 (at 59.94, 50fps),640 x480 (at 59.94,50fps). Mono sound

� AUTOFOCUS Nine points (onecross-type)

� VIEWFINDER Optical pentamirror,95% coverage with0.85x magnification.Approx 19mm eyepoint

� MAX BURSTRATE 3.7fps� LCD SCREEN SIZE 3in articulated Clear

View LCD, 1,040,000dots

� SENSITIVITY Auto ISO, ISO 100-6400 (expandable toISO 12,800 equivalent)

� WHITE BALANCE Auto, Daylight, Shade,Cloudy, Tungsten,White Fluorescentlight, Flash, Custom,Manual

� SHUTTER SPEEDS 1/4,000-30sec, bulb� FLASH Built-in flash. Guide

number 13m @ ISO100

� MEMORY CARD SD, SDHC, SDXC� BATTERY Rechargeable LP-E8

Lithium-ion battery� WEIGHT 570g (including

battery and memorycard)

133.1mm

99.5mm

higher magnification, the 600D’s viewfinder

appears to present a larger view, although

once the differences in sensor size are taken

into account – the 600D has a marginally

smaller sensor – any advantage is negligible.

The two are also powered by rechargeable

lithium-ion batteries and support the

SD family of memory cards for image and

video recording.

BUILD AND HANDLINGThe two cameras closely match each other in

both size and weight, although they differ in

terms of their finish and design. I found the

slightly mottled treatment of the D5100’s

body more pleasing in the hand than the less

refined casing of the 600D, although both

cameras make good use of rubber around the

grip for both security and comfort. Canon has

been a touch more generous here, though,

and has provided more rubber for the thumb

LCD

The screen on each camera is easy to pull away

from its body and both stay firmly in the position

of the user’s choosing. Despite the EOS 600D’s

screen having a slightly higher resolution, I didn’t

find it displayed any significant benefit over the

921,000-dot LCD of the D5100. Both are capable

enough to render images with plenty of detail,

and although both claim to have the same 170º

viewing angle in brighter conditions I found the

EOS 600D just had the edge in visibility once

I had turned the LCD screen of each camera out

of its standard position.

MENU SYSTEM

For the first-time user, or those coming from

other systems, the Nikon D5100’s menu system

is perhaps the easier of the two with which to get

acquainted. All its options are split between six

clearly-titled screens, in contrast to the EOS

600D’s system, where shooting, playback and

settings options flow over multiple screens in

a less logical order. Nikon’s ‘?’ facility is more

helpful for understanding menu options than the

600D’s feature guide as Canon has restricted this

to only key controls, although when a feature is

unavailable the EOS 600D explains why; the

D5100 does not, which is far from helpful.

to rest. Each is built well, understandably

with less solidity than more professional

magnesium-alloy bodied DSLRs, but

with no creaking when subjected to pressure

of any sort.

To the eye there doesn’t appear to be much

to separate the cameras’ grips, although upon

handling them the 600D’s feels more

substantial. I found it to be the easier to

handle and more enjoyable to operate, and it

felt more secure in my hands with a range of

different lenses. The design of the D5100’s

grip meant that it felt slightly less at home in

my averagely sized hands, although anyone

interested in such a model is advised toThe Nikon LCD Screen

The Canon menu screen

The Nikon menu screen

The Canon LCD screen

79.7mm(Depth)


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TECHNICAL SPEC: NIKON D5100

� SENSOR 23.6 x 15.6mm CMOStype, 16.9MP total,16.2MP effective

� CROP FACTOR FOCAL Approx 1.5xLENGTH CONVERSION

� VIDEO RESOLUTION MOV format, 1,920 x1,080 (at 29.97, 25,23.976fps), 1,280 x720 (at 29.97, 25,23.976fps), 640 x480(at 29.97, 25fps).Mono sound

� AUTOFOCUS 11 points (onecross-type)

� VIEWFINDER Optical pentamirror,95% coverage with0.78x magnification.Approx 17.9mm eyepoint

� MAX BURSTRATE 4fps� LCD SCREEN SIZE 3in TFT, 921,000 dots� SENSITIVITY Auto, ISO 100-6400

(expandable to ISO25,600 equivalent)

� WHITE BALANCE Auto, Incandescent,Fluorescent (seventypes), DirectSunlight, Flash,Cloudy, Shade,Manual, Custom

� SHUTTER SPEEDS 1/4,000-30sec, bulb� FLASH Built-in flash. Guide

number 12m @ ISO100

� MEMORY SD, SDHC, SDXC� BATTERY Rechargeable EN-EL14

Lithium-ion battery� WEIGHT Approx. 560g

(including battery andmemory card)

128mm

97mm

MOVIE MODE

Each camera offers full HD video recording and a

mono microphone for sound recording, although

should you wish to improve on the sound quality

of the camera’s audio you can attach a stereo

microphone to each. In terms of video quality

both cameras do well to capture detailed and

smooth footage with their kit lenses, and each is

only troubled by a little aliasing. With sound

quality, however, the D5100 falls behind the

Canon due to its more muffled recording. It does,

however, have the advantage of being able to

focus far more quickly during recording, while its

quieter kit lens means fewer sounds are picked

up by the camera’s internal microphone.

Each camera may be focused manually while

shooting video, which not only negates the above

problem but allows for greater creative control.

AF

With no AF motor inside its body, focusing speed

and performance from the D5100 depend greatly

on the lens being used. With their kit lenses the

D5100 raced ahead when focusing in Live View,

where it was the speedier by quite a margin.

Here, I found the EOS 600D had a habit of

dawdling and being more hesitant, although with

their standard phase-detect focusing systems the

situation was reversed, with the D5100 just

trailing behind in terms of speed. In low light and

against particularly fine details the two cameras

struggled to acquire a lock on to the subject,

although this is not unusual for such systems,

particularly when using the less sensitive

peripheral AF points (which, admittedly,

performed admirably in good light).

handle it for themselves, as their preferences

may be different.

One area where the two cameras do go

about things differently is in the way the

controls are accessed and settings altered.

While the 600D’s setup allows options to be

accessed either through direct buttons or the

main shooting display, the D5100 allows only

for the latter. This has allowed Nikon to

simplify the design of the rear, and with fewer

buttons it appears as a less intimidating

model for novices.

ONE AREA WHERE THE TWOCAMERAS DO GO ABOUTTHINGS DIFFERENTLY IS INTHE WAY THE CONTROLSARE ACCESSED ANDSETTINGS ALTERED.

Canon

However, the placement of some of the

buttons it does have is questionable.

For example, the ‘i’ button for changing

many settings is used almost exclusively

in conjunction with the menu pad, yet

the two are spaced unnecessarily far apart,

whereas on the 600D the Q button used

to bring up the equivalent option is right

next to the menu pad with which it is used.

Overall, I found Canon’s system more

intuitively designed.

PERFORMANCEAlthough both viewfinders are perfectly

capable for their task, when shooting

outdoors I found the D5100’s finder to be

more pleasing to use, given its slightly

brighter view and more colourful

representation of the scene. The 600D’s

viewfinder isn’t too far behind, and �

Nikon

The Canon AF switch

MATT GOLOWCZYNSKI

GEAR


79mm(Depth)


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CANON EOS 600D NIKON D5100

EXPOSURE

DETAIL

100% CROP

COLOUR REPRODUCTION

HEAD TO HEAD TESTINGWe compare images taken by each camera in a number of challenging conditions to see which performs better

admittedly this difference is only

noticeable during a direct

comparison, but it’s just a shade

cloudier in its appearance.

While the two cameras have

similar burst speeds on paper,

shooting continuously threw up

some unexpected results.

While the 600D slowed down its

3.7fps pace after only around

three to four simultaneous RAW

and JPEG frames, the D5100

maintained its speed for an

average of 10 frames at a time.

Both cameras allowed me to take

further images while any prior

bursts were being processed,

although the D5100 shot more

than the one frame at a time the

600D tended to allow, despite it

being burdened by having around

twice the images to process.

Although it became easy to

spot the characteristics of each

camera while analysing its

images, occasionally each would

veer off to produce a different

result from the one expected,

something which may be

attributed to the scene- and

content-dependent nature of

technology used for metering

and processing. Typically, the

600D’s white balance was warmer

than the D5100’s; this benefited

some situations, but images

with foliage were better with

the colder and slightly more

neutral results from the D5100, �


IMAGES WITHFOLIAGE WEREBETTER WITH THECOLDER ANDSLIGHTLY MORENEUTRAL RESULTSFROM THE D5100,WHERE GREENSWERE RENDEREDWITH GREATERVIBRANCY.

ISO TESTINGCanon

Nikon

ISO 1600

Canon

Nikon

ISO 3200

Canon

Nikon

ISO 6400

Canon

Nikon

ISO 12,800

MATT GOLOWCZYNSKI

GEAR




SENSITIVITY

Another area where the

two cameras perform

about equally well is with

noise control at higher

sensitivities. Noise is

slightly more visible in

the 600D’s images, but

much of this can be

attributed to its slightly

brighter exposures,

which highlight any noise

(and, it should be said,

details) in shadowy areas.

Predictably, things aren’t

pretty at either camera’s

expanded settings,

although up until that

point there really is little

to separate them.

where greens were rendered with

greater vibrancy.

Each camera’s metering system did well to

ensure the main subject was properly

exposed, although with a slight tendency to

overexpose the same subject, the 600D’s

results showed highlights details to be lost

a little prematurely; this can be remedied with

Canon’s Highlight Tone Priority option, which

works effectively. Again, in certain situations

a slightly brighter subject may be preferable,

although in terms of reliability and balance

the D5100 had the edge.

The advantage of Canon’s bigger 18MP

sensor is slight and I didn’t find it translated

into any major gains in detail. I noticed less of

a difference between the RAW and JPEG

output of the D5100 than between the

600D’s files, although with slightly sharper

images to begin with there’s less work to be

done with Nikon’s files.

The kit lenses of the two cameras

performed about as well as each other and

My best shot taken with the Canon EOS 600D My best shot with the Nikon D5100

The Canon EOS600D at ISO 6400with, inset, a 100% crop


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both proved the effectiveness of their

respective image stabilisation systems.

Elsewhere there were differences:

chromatic aberrations were evident in

both cameras’ RAW files, although in-camera

processing resulted in the D5100’s

JPEGs showing far less than the 600D’s.

Conversely, RAW files from the two

cameras showed Canon’s kit lens to have

the better handle over distortions,

although each camera offers an optional

correction setting.

CANON

Features 75/100Build and handling 85/100Performance 75/100OVERALL CANON 78%

NIKON

Features 85/100Build and handling 80/100Performance 85/100OVERALL NIKON 83%

SCORES OUT OF 100

VERDICTThere’s little to split these two cameras. In a number of key areas they don’t necessarily perform better or worse than the other, but

in different ways. Both allow all major options to be changed from a single screen, although those wanting direct access to options

through physical controls can only do so with the EOS 600D. The explanatory nature of the D5100’s menu system is still not

matched by the EOS 600D’s equivalent feature, and Nikon’s menu system is still the more practically arranged. For those used to

one system or the other, though, such things are unlikely to be an issue.

Anyone looking at either camera specifically for movie recording should know that the EOS 600D provides more control over

recording options, and it’s here where the D5100 could make the greatest improvements. But for most people, it’s images that

matter and here the Nikon steals the lead. Its more reliable metering system keeps exposures balanced, while in the majority of

conditions its auto white balance performance is the more accurate. As a further incentive it’s also currently priced at between £60

and £80 less than the EOS 600D, at just under £600 for its body and kit-lens option. PM

MATT GOLOWCZYNSKI

GEAR



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ALL THAT’SFITTOPRINTFrom holiday snaps to our more serious work, we’re all sitting on archives of images that no oneever gets to see. In a new series, JESSICA LAMB has done the footwork and found some of the bestwebsites and products for printing your photos. SAVE options offer great value and suit all pockets.In SPEND we highlight those products that cost a bit more but are fantastic quality, while SPLURGErecommendations are for those special occasions when you really want to treat yourself

PHOTOBOXPrices start at: £5.99www.photobox.co.uk

PhotoBox has a widerange of photographicproducts, fromcalendars to photobooks, at prices to suit allbudgets. The PhotoBoxwebsite is easy to understand and hasa simple guide to help create and orderyour book. Through your PhotoBoxaccount you can view all your creationsand manage orders. After registeringI uploaded the chosen images to myonline album, which was quick andtrouble-free. Next I selected the sizeand style of the book I wanted to createfrom an array of options, including thetype of binding to paper quality.Having made my selection, I was given

a list of45 themes, which includedwedding, birthday, holiday and modern;I went for the classic option, so as tokeep the design clear and simple.The online studio then opened andI started designing and laying out mybook; placing my images on the pagewas as simple as drag and drop.I enjoyed creating each page as therewere many different layout styles andbackground colours, but I did find thechoice of fonts for the text slightlylimited. Once I was happy with mycreation I went to the preview pagewhere I could check the finishedproduct. Here I was alerted to anyimages that were of low quality so

The choice of available layouts runs along thebottom of the page for you to select.

The designing tools are easy to switch between by usingthe tabs along the grey bar.

I could change or adjust them to achievethe best results. It took me an hour tocreate my photo book, but you couldeasily spend a lot longer perfectingyours and testing the different tools,themes and layout options. I was happywith my finished 30-page photo book,which cost £24.99, plus £3.99 delivery,and arrived in 10 working days.

ASDAwww.asda-photo.co.uk

Asda has a range of personalisedproducts and photo books available toorder from its website. Prices start at5p for prints and £12 for photo books.I ordered a large collage print and wasvery pleased with the quality of thefinal product, which arrived within

three days.

SAVE!

TOP TIPS WHENCREATING YOUR

PHOTO BOOK

Check your images are an adequatesize before you start designing yourphoto book, otherwise they might

be rejected.

Images in photo books can tell a story;try arranging your pictures so each

page flows and complements the next.

Choosing the right backgrounds orthemes can enhance the images, so

think about colours, mood and subject.

PM_PHOTOBOOKS:Layout 1 27/07/2011 08:34 Page 112

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JESSICA LAMB

GEAR

SAVE, SPEND & SPLURGE

Prices start at: £20www.bluefrogbooks.co.uk

Blue Frog Books ispart of ColorworldImaging and hasphoto books for alloccasions. I found theminimalist website to beclear and user-friendly withsimple options and easy-to-follow steps.When using Blue Frog Books you arerequired to download the free software,which comes with tips and a tutorial oncreating your book. Downloading thesoftware took only a few minutes andI was then able to upload my imagesand start creating my book. As wellas a selection of layouts, backgroundcolours and themes, I was also ableto drag, drop and arrange my photoswherever I wanted on the page.The themes with Blue Frog Books have

a more playful feel, with a vast choice of

BLUE FROGBOOKS

Every step in the creating process is easy to follow.Here you have the choice of downloading software foreither a PC or a Mac.

is a quick and useful tool. Creating my28-page book took about an hour butyou could easily spend longer trying thedifferent page layouts and options.My finished book cost £24.51, plus

£3 delivery, and arrived in two workingdays. I was very pleased with theoutcome and thought the paper qualitywas excellent.


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ANDROID APPhttp://photo.jessops.com

Jessops has launched an app forAndroid allowing you to order printsof your favourite images straight

from your Android phone which arethen delivered to your door.The app is free to download

from Android Market.

SAVE!

vibrant colours, patterns and fundesigns. When creating layouts andplacing my images I found the pageguidelines faint and slightly confusing,but otherwise the whole process wasvery enjoyable. While you are workingyou can see how the book is shaping upby going to the preview window, which



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JESSICA LAMB

GEAR


BONUSPRINTPrices start at: £7.99www.bonusprint.co.uk

Part of the Albellibrand, Bonusprint hasa wide range ofproducts, from calendarsto acrylic wall art. The websiteis easy to navigate and the orderingprocess has been simplified. I chose tocreate my book online but you are able todownload software that offers advancedoptions and design choices. Uploading myimages to the site took only a fewminutes, and I was then in a position tostart creating my book. I wanted toarrange my photographs in a specificorder, but Bonusprint also has an auto filloption, which is handy if you are short oftime.

Once I had chosen the style and size ofbook, blank pages appeared with thedesign tabs and my pictures at the side.It was then as simple as drag and drop;as well as extensive layout options I was

able to position the images whereverI wanted on the page and a ruler guideflashed up, so I could align my imagesthroughout the book. Bonusprint hasa lot of tools to experiment with atthe designing stage. One that I hadn’tnoticed on some other websites wasthe ability to apply my image to thebackground of a page; I thoughtthis was a great idea that would lookfantastic if you were creating aholiday album.

My finished 24-page book cost£23.99, plus £3.99 delivery, and arrivedin two working days.

� When starting your book you can play around with theavailable layouts by clicking the different options at thebottom of the screen.

� When using a background image, you are able toselect your photo quickly from the tool bar.

� Each created page is clearly shown in the book planat the bottom of the screen.

BLURBPrice: £53www.blurb.com

Blurb is a popularonline option forcreating photobooks, whether ofprofessional weddingimages, a trip abroad ora book of memories. The Blurb websitelooks clear and is packed with tips andideas for creating and sharing your book,making it an easy service to use.Blurb has taken the photo book world

to a new level with its online bookstore.This means you can publish your bookonline and make it available to others,which is a useful resource for aspiringphotographers or those wanting to sharetheir work; it could even allow you toshare a holiday album with relativesand give them the option of buying acopy. If you are successful in selling yourbook you can even make a profit, oralternatively sell your book through theBlurb for Good section which donatesprofits to a worthy cause.When designing your book with Blurb

you have several options: firstly you

In order to see the available layout and design optionsyou must click on the small grey icons below the pages.

can create a book using the Bookifyonline option, as I did, which requiresno downloads. If your design needs aremore specific and you have a little moretime you can download Blurb BookSmart,which allows you to customise yourlayouts. There is also an option toupload PDFs to your book, but thiswill require a program such as InDesignor Adobe.Once I had registered and selected the

style of book, I picked the photos I wantedto use. I selected around60 to uploadso I had plenty of options when creatingeach page. Uploading the photos toBookify was simple; it did take around40 minutes for the images to be ready,but this was probably because mine

were large. The Blurb Bookify studiothen opens, with your images along thebottom, and tool tabs beneath the pageyou are working on. Further detailsappear when you hover over an imageon the page. Arranging each page is assimple as drag and drop; used imagesappear along the bottom with a greentick, ensuring you don’t use the sameone twice.I spent £48, plus £4.99 delivery, on my

28-page book from Blurb; I upgradedthe paper quality and added a dustcover to give the book a luxury feel.I also ordered a smaller version, withoutthe dust cover, which cost £23.95 for32 pages. My finished books arrived insix working days.


METROPRINTwww.metro-print.co.uk

Specialist printing lab Metro Imaginghas a new online printing service, called

METROPRINT. Its facilities werepreviously available only to a selectgroup of professionals but are now

there for all to use online at affordableprices. This is a great website for both

professionals and enthusiasts.Prints start at £2.

SAVE!

SPEND!


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CANVASDEZIGNPrice: £101www.canvasdezign.co.uk

If you want to bring a room to life,a canvas is the answer, but if it is largebe careful what sort of image you use.I chose one that I had taken in thewoods: simple but bright and with freshcolours. When buying a larger canvasit is worth spending a little more to getthe highest quality and finish.CanvasDezign has a professional

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was particularly distressing. Sixty good images seemedsuch a paltry number compared with 180. The encouragingnews was that I felt my best images were still animprovement over my previous efforts. But the questionstill remained: why had I become a less productivephotographer? Might it simply be that I had, both in termsof art and craft, become pickier? That’s certainly a largepart of the reason for the change. It’s natural that onebecomes more critical of the finished images. But surelythis critical faculty should also mean that one makesfewer mistakes and more winners?

But a more fundamental change is that I no longer seethis shift as something unsettling. I now picture makingimages as a journey across a landscape of the mind.From this perspective, winning images are particularlyfine views from high peaks. From each summit we reach


� IN THE DIM, THOUGH NOT-SO-DISTANT PAST,I used to make images with a 35mm camera and wouldfeel content if around one image in six was good.Let’s not get the wrong idea here; I’m not referring tophotographs that were wildly exciting, career changingor, heaven forbid, life changing. I’m not even referringto what Ansel Adams called epiphanies. Sadly, thevast majority of these images didn’t provide me withsudden revelations or insights. These ‘good’ imagessimply met my general level of expectation; theywere well-exposed, reasonably sharp and passablywell-composed. The real beauties came along onlyrarely and I think Ansel’s estimate of a dozen suchimages a year is still pretty accurate.

It’s tempting to think (especially in this digital age)that the only reason Ansel had so few ‘stonkers’ wasbecause producing each image was such a faff.Obviously, making a photograph with a large formatcamera isn’t like using a modern DSLR; there’s nobuilt-in meter or autofocus, for a start. And when usinga 10 x 8 the process normally proceeds at a stately paceand in an almost ritualistic fashion. But I don’t believethere’s a strong correlation between a high productionrate and the creation of a large number of great images- though there is a good argument for regular practicebenefiting the quality of our work. If it were a simplematter of numbers we would surely have seen a hugeupsurge in amazing photography in the past 10 years.Unfortunately, the reverse seems to be the case, withwebsites drowning us in a deluge of mediocre imagery.

In my early 20s I started making images regularly ona 5 x 4. This move coincided with my hit rate increasingsignificantly from the one in six I mentioned earlier toaround six out of 10. For the mathematically challenged(and I had to get a calculator to work this out!), that’san increase of more than 43% from 16.66% to 60%.Of course, 68.7% of statistics are made up and mine arehardly the result of rigorous analysis. But, I reasoned,such a big change must be significant. Might it even bea sign that – at the advanced age of 23 – I had finallybecome a photographer? This conclusion was clearly ofdubious worth – not least because I was acting asthe arbiter of my own success in a field notorious forlacking any fixed criteria to use as benchmarks.

Over the ensuing decades I have noticed whatseemed at first to be a worrying trend. My hit rate ofgood images has steadily and significantly fallen, toperhaps as low as 20%. For someone who makes onlya total of around 300 images in a good year, this drop

David is a professionalphotographer with morethan 20 years’ experience.He shoots large format andis drawn to the abstractimage.

To read more of David’s columns visit thewebsite www.photographymonthly.com

DAVIDWARD

we can see other, distant and indistinct – but perhapsloftier – prominences. In order to reach them we mustlose height and drop into a cloud-shrouded hinterland,where the route to these new mountains lies hidden.The less successful images we make belong to thisregion, where we’re not sure of the way ahead.But, though less satisfying, they are no less important.The crucial fact is that we can reach the mountaintopsonly by traversing this lower landscape. So every image,no matter how humble, is a necessary step onthe journey from one shining peak to another.www.into-the-light.com

PM

This month David reveals that hishit rate of successful imageshas declined over the years, butexplains that in the end it’s qualityand not quantity that counts.

Bonnet 2.

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A LARGE PART OF THE REASON FOR THE CHANGE.

F STOP

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Photography Monthly Magazine September 2011