Monday 15 April 2013

Review Digital Camera World 04-16-2013

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Digital Camera World
Group Photography: 12 ways to make your portraits shine
Apr 15th 2013, 23:01

Is your group photography stuck in a rut? If you’re bored of the formal group pictures there are some subtle and creative ways to make your group photos more engaging. In this tutorial we’ll start by showing you the basics to set up and shoot the traditional group shot… and then how to take your group photography one step beyond.

Group Photography: 12 ways to make your portraits shine

Anyone who's tried to shoot group photography will know they can be a lot harder to pull off than individual portraits. First you have to get everyone together at the same time and wearing the right expressions, and then you have to figure out how to compose your image so that it doesn't just look like a boring and predictable line-up.

There is a place for these, of course. Special family occasions are one example, where the main reason for taking the picture is to capture a record of the event. Prize-givings, awards and company group shots are other examples.

However, there are times when you want a more casual approach that captures the personalities of your subjects and their spontaneous reactions, or you may be asked to come up with something more creative, such as an album cover for a band.

This is when you need to explore some less formal photo opportunities, and get more adventurous with your shooting angles, lens choice and camera settings.

There are other secrets to great group photography, such as making the most of your surroundings. Your choice of lens and viewpoint will obviously affect what's in the background of your group photography, but you can go further, using doorways to frame your subjects, for example, or making seats, steps and railings part of the composition.

The most important thing of all is to work on the interaction between yourself and your subjects, and use the group dynamics, working with obvious pairings and groups within the larger collective.

Professional models know how to pose, but most of your subjects will feel quite awkward, so explain what you're trying to do as you go along. Best of all, find some activity for them to engage in, no matter how silly, to break the ice and get some great expressions.

PAGE 1: What makes good group photography?
PAGE 2: Group photography tips: 01 Tripod and remote
PAGE 3: Group photography tips: 02 Best camera settings
PAGE 4: Group photography tips: 03 The classic line-up
PAGE 5: Group photography tips: 04 Handheld settings
PAGE 6: Group photography tips: 05 Change your viewpoint
PAGE 7: Group photography tips: 06 Wide-angle perspectives
PAGE 8: Group photography tips: 07 Go with flash
PAGE 9: Group photography tips: 08 Act the fool!
PAGE 10: Group photography tips: Natural frames
PAGE 11: Group photography tips: Lively line-ups
PAGE 12: Group photography tips: Make a moody sky
PAGE 13: Group photography tips: Add some attitude

READ MORE

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Adobe Lightroom 5: the 6 new features you need to know about
Apr 15th 2013, 21:22

Ahead of the release of Adobe Lightroom 5, announced today, a beta version of the new Adobe Lightroom is now available to download from adobelabs.com for free. Here's a quick rundown of the best new features in Lightroom 5 and what Adobe says they can do for your images…

NOTE: click each image to see a larger version of the Adobe Lightroom 5 interface

 

Adobe Lightroom 5 New Features: Improved Spot Removal

Adobe Lightroom 5 New Features: Improved Spot Removal

Previously the Spot Removal tool has only let you make circular heal points with the tool, but in Adobe Lightroom 5 you can now paint with it like a brush (just like using the Spot Healing Brush tool in Photoshop), which is great news for retouchers.

And if you're plagued by sensor marks, there's also a handy new feature called 'Visualise Spots' which places a mask over your image that highlights those pesky marks, making them easier to remove.

 

Adobe Lightroom 5 New Features: Better Lens Correction

Adobe Lightroom 5 New Features: Better Lens Correction

The Lens Correction panel now sports automated options that allow you to fix perspective, correct converging verticals and put wonky horizons right. There are three modes that offer different levels of correction, 'Full' being the most aggressive.

 

Adobe Lightroom 5 New Features: New Radial Gradients

Adobe Lightroom 5 New Features: New Radial Gradients

A new Radial Filter tool allows you to position circular gradients over your images to focus attention on the subject, which means vignettes can be placed wherever you want, rather than just in the corners of the frame. There are all the usual options to alter exposure, colour and clarity, as well as the softness of the circle.

 

Adobe Lightroom 5 New Features: New Smart Previews

Adobe Lightroom 5 New Features: New Smart Previews

In Adobe Lightroom 5 you can create 'Smart Previews' of your images as proxy versions for making adjustments. This means you don't have to be connected to the Hard Drive containing the image to alter it. Which will no doubt prove very handy for photographers who need to work on-the-go.

Adobe Lightroom 5 New Features: Book Module changes

The book module now makes it easy to add page numbers and text into your templates. You can also save custom templates with a right-click and quickly make other pages.

Adobe Lightroom 5 New Features: Improved functionality

Alongside these improvements, Adobe have also listened to feedback from users and made over 50 minor improvements to functionality (which it calls 'Just Do It' improvements, or JDI's) in Lightroom 5. These include Full Screen mode by hitting F, the ability to import PNGs, and LAB support for the Histogram.

READ MORE

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Frame within a frame: composition tricks for adding depth and context
Apr 15th 2013, 12:00

Using a found frame within a frame is a great photo composition trick for filling space and adding depth to an image. In this simple guide we show you how to find your frame within a frame and how to make it work.

Frame within a frame: composition tricks for adding depth and context

Frame within a frame is a simple compositional trick that can prove particularly effective in city and travel photography. Including a natural or man-made aperture such as a gateway, aperture or hole in a hedge in the foreground of your shot creates a distinct border at the edge of your pictures.

One of the attractions of this form of composition is that it allows you to get away from a standard rectangular frame forced on to you by your camera's sensor.

Using a natural frame allows you to create new inner picture shape. This adds variety to your shots, and often means you can mask out the acres of boring sky or grass that you would otherwise have to include in the frame

Adding the frame in the foreground is also one of the many ways of adding a feeling of depth to your shot, giving a strong suggestion of the third dimension that is missing from a two-dimensional photograph.

How to use a frame within a frame

How to use a frame within a frame: step 1

01 Hunt high and low
Finding natural frames for your pictures can demand a bit of ingenuity, but once you develop an eye for it you will see them everywhere. You will need to change the camera's height and position to ensure that you can frame the subject well within the frame you find.

 

How to use a frame within a frame: step 2

02 The window view

Manmade apertures are the obvious choice for this effect. Archways, gaps in gates and windows can be found giving views of most places if you are not too far from civilisation. This gate was ideal as it could be angled to frame the castle as perfectly as possible.

 

How to use a frame within a frame: step 3

03 Foreground framing elements
Finding foreground framing elements is a great way of filling areas of empty space in a frame, such as featureless skies or acres of grass. Foliage can work well, and can be found in most places. This hole in a young holly hedge overlooking the keep does the trick here.

 

How to use a frame within a frame: step 4

04 Focus of attention
For this type of photography, we'd recommend using the 'A', or aperture priority, mode. This gives you good control over depth of field. With every frame-in-a-frame you shoot, you will need to decide how much of the scene and how much of the foreground you want in focus.

 

How to use a frame within a frame: step 5

05 All looking sharp
It is tempting to always have both the subject and the frame tack-sharp, but this can be tricky to achieve. To maximise depth of field to achieve this you will need a small aperture (f/22 say, as above). Use a tripod, and then focus on a point about a third of the way into the scene.

 

How to use a frame within a frame: step 6

06 Go arty with blur
For handheld shots it is usually expedient to have the frame slightly out of focus to ensure the subject is sharp, accentuating the feeling of depth. A radical alternative is to use a wide aperture (f/3.2 here) and focus on the foreground and keep the subject teasingly blurred.

Final tip

Found frames can be useful for hiding ugly signs, parked trucks and crowds of people, making the technique very useful for city photography – at home or when traveling.

READ MORE

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Win a Sony NEX-3N + a place at the Sony World Photography Awards Workshops
Apr 15th 2013, 09:30

With the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards taking place later this month the World Photography Organisation has partnered with Sony to give 10 Digital Camera World readers the opportunity to attend a series of workshops taking place at Somerset House, London from 26th April – 28th April 2013.

Win a Sony NEX-3N and a place at the Sony World Photography Awards Workshops

One winner will also receive a NEX-3N compact system camera to test out their new skills.

Featuring the same image sensor that you'd expect from a DSLR camera, the NEX allows you to take professional standard pictures, providing the best results and picture quality on the market.

With a selection of 15 e-mount lenses available you'll discover the ideal lens to bring your vision to life.

What’s on at the Sony World Photography Awards Workshops

The workshops will cover a variety of topics suitable for camera enthusiasts from beginners to budding professionals, and will coincide with the opening of the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition on 26th April.

There are three separate workshops covering a range of topics. From showing beginners how to improve picture quality, providing an understanding of commercial photography and turning a hobby into a career, or looking at the developments in full-frame photograph over time, there will be something for any photography enthusiast.

Speakers will include Michael Wayne Plant, who specialises in work around identities and social landscape, and Magdi Fernandes who works across fashion, music and sports.

All attendees will be entered into a prize draw each day for one lucky winner to receive the Sony NEX-3N.

Click here to enter for your chance to attend the workshops and win a Sony NEX-3N.

READ MORE

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Famous Photographers: 100 things we wish we knew starting out
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