Review Digital Camera World 04-29-2013

Digital Camera World

Photography Lighting: simple ways you can make the most of natural light Apr 28th 2013, 23:01 In the third part of our Shoot Like A Pro series post on photography lighting in all its forms, we take a look at how you can make the most of natural light on any given occasion. For large subjects such as landscapes or buildings it's not feasible to control the light, so you will be at Mother Nature's mercy. However, you can choose the direction of the light by your viewpoint, and with a little planning you have some control over the quality of light by shooting at different times of day or in varying weather. The classic time to shoot scenic images is during the golden hour. This is the hour after sunrise and before sunset when the sun is low in the sky, giving strong side lighting on the landscape to reveal texture and shape. When the sun is low in the skyyou will find that the colour temperature is lower, giving your shots a warmer look. Shoot into the light One of the most dramatic and striking lighting effects is when you shoot into the light. This technique – also known as contre jour or backlighting – gives your images a totally different look to shooting with the light in front of the subject. With the light behind the subject you can get two completely different 'looks' by altering the exposure. By exposing for the background the subject will be dark, producing a silhouette, while exposing for the subject will over-expose the background, giving a much brighter, high-key effect. When you're shooting into the light you should always avoid looking directly at the sun, so try composing using Live View, rather than the optical viewfinder. You've probably seen the 'perfect' sunset, even if only from your house or car window, but how many times have you seen it when you've been out with your camera? If the answer is many then you're either extremely lucky, or more likely you spend too much time checking the weather forecast! But knowing what conditions to look for, and the timing and position of the sun during the day, is the key to getting the most from natural light. PAGE 1: Making the most of natural light PAGE 2: Predicting the natural light PAGE 3: Shoot in the direction of light READ MORE 3 exposure techniques every beginner must know (and when you should use them) Expose to the right: the camera technique every landscape photographer should know 10 quick landscape photography tips Photo Anatomy: using light to create artistic landscape photography Apr 28th 2013, 13:00 In our new Sunday series on Digital Camera World, we select pictures by famous photographers and explain point by point what makes them work. In our latest instalment award-winning landscape photographer Antony Spencer reveals the artistic choices and photographic techniques he used to create this amazing landscape image. Composition The whole image is built around the tree. "It adds another dimension and takes the composition up a level, especially with the creek leading straight to it," says Antony. Exposure "When shooting a scene at 280mm on top of a hill, any wind will soften the image, so I used ISO200 to shorten the exposure time," he says. Selecting the right content "I used a 70-200mm lens at 200mm with a 1.4x extender to compress the area of interest within the landscape," says Antony. "A polariser increased colour saturation." Viewpoint Antony shot this image from the top of Steptoe Butte, which overlooks the wide open landscape of the Palouse region in Whitman County, Washington State, USA. Time of day "Sunset was always going to be the best time of day for the light to emphasise the undulating hills and lead towards the tree," says Antony. "The angled light was crucial." We say "Photographing a large-scale landscape like the Palouse can initially be overwhelming. Using a longer lens reduces the amount of detail in the frame and compresses perspective. By selecting the right combination of elements you can create a simple, balanced composition that's far more effective than a broader landscape." Chris Rutter, technique editor READ MORE 13 ways famous landscape photographers make money from photography 10 common exposure problems every photographer faces (and how to fix them The 10 Commandments of Landscape Photography (and how to break them)

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