Review Digital Camera World 07-29-2013

Digital Camera World

Camera Lenses Explained: how to get sharp photos using telephoto lenses Jul 28th 2013, 23:01, by crutter In the third part of our Shoot Like A Pro Series on how to get the sharpest photos possible with your camera’s lenses, we explain how extending the reach of your photography with a telephoto lens can help you capture scenes that are beyond the scope of other optics. A telephoto lens is the natural choice for sports and wildlife subjects that you can't get close to. But long focal-length lenses are great for shooting all sorts of subjects. Because you can shoot from a distance, it's easier to isolate individual subjects from their surroundings, or make subjects at different distances appear to be very close together in the final image. This effect is called 'compressed perspective', and is dead handy when there are layers of objects in the scene that appear to stack on top of each other. Including figures is a handy way to give telephoto shots a sense of scale. In Brighton we found our telephoto lens ideal for shooting architecture. The longer focal length was also perfect for grabbing candid shots, along with picking out individual details such as the remains of the end of the West Pier. PAGE 1: What is a telephoto lens PAGE 2: Using telephoto lenses with image stabilisers PAGE 3: How to beat camera shake when using a telephoto lens READ MORE 11 common lens errors (and how to avoid them) Best camera focus techniques: 10 surefire ways to get sharp photos Pro Secrets: how to use a telephoto lens for awesome landscapes Photography Basics: the No. 1 cheat sheet for metering and exposure Photo Anatomy: creating underwater portraits that look like paintings Jul 28th 2013, 13:00, by jmeyer In our Photo Anatomy series on Digital Camera World we select pictures by famous photographers and explain point by point what makes them work. Igor Kraguljac's dramatic photo was inspired by Renaissance painting. It's a visually stunning image, but how did he take it? We have the answers in our latest instalment… Giving directions Kraguljac and his model  were submerged in a swimming pool for the shoot. They both held their breath and communicated using hand signals. Technique It was essential to freeze both the movement of the model and the material billowing around her. Kraguljac used settings of 1/125 sec at f/8, while noise was kept to a minimum with an ISO of 200. Gear Igor used a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III with a Canon 17-40mm, inside an Ewa-Marine U-B Series underwater housing. To light the model he used a JTL Mobilight 301 strobe, modified with a 72×48-inch softbox. Lighting Inspired by artist Caravaggio's dramatic 'chiaroscuro' lighting, Kraguljac shot his model against a black background. The single light was placed directly above the model, 15 inches above the water's surface, and fired using a wireless radio transmitter. Finishing touches At the post-capture stage, Kraguljac enhanced the contrast levels and made some colour saturation changes. The most time-consuming task, however, was to clone out hundreds of little bubbles around the model. We say "You don't need an expensive lighting set up to get the strong chiaroscuro effect that Kraguljac achieved. An angle-poise lamp or an off-camera flash can work just as well. The trick is positioning it properly to the side of your subject. Experiment with different positions and review test shots on your SLR's LCD screen." Chris Rutter, technique editor READ MORE Famous Photographers: 100 things we wish we knew starting out How to see photos like famous photographers… every time you shoot 14 portrait photography tips you’ll never want to forget 54 Portrait Ideas: free downloadable posing guide

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