Review Digital Camera World 11-06-2013

Digital Camera World

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Water reflection techniques: how to increase the impact of your landscapes Nov 6th 2013, 00:01, by jmeyer Nothing can bring your landscape photography to life more than a sharp, stunning water reflection. In this tutorial we explain how to photograph a reflection and suggest several key techniques and tips for finding suitable subjects. Words and pictures by Mark Hamblin Water in its many forms is an integral part of landscape photos. One element that never fails to catch the eye is reflections: there is something magical about a reflection, transforming an ordinary scene into something special. A water reflection not only adds another layer of interest to the photograph but it also introduces an element of depth. There are many forms of reflections and many different ways to photograph them. One of the classic examples is a landscape with its reflection mirrored in tranquil water. This kind of image relies on shooting in flat, calm conditions. Early morning is usually best, but check out the weather forecast the evening before and choose a location where the water is sheltered. Smaller, shallower pools provide the best chance of ripple-free water. Remember that it's possible to create effective water reflection shots with just a puddle! Most subjects with a perfect reflection make great pictures. These might include colourful autumnal trees, mountains, buildings in either rural or urban settings, harbours and boats. The best time to shoot a water reflection Shots taken in early morning light look fantastic when warm tones are reflected in the cooler colours of the shaded water. This differential lighting, where light is falling on the main subject but the water itself is in shadow, is very effective and often leads to dramatic images. If you're in a new location, use a compass or phone app to work out when the sun will come up, then place some calm water between you and the scene with the sun at your back. Slightly rippled water can produce stunning results. Often the wind begins to pick up an hour or so after sunrise, creating small ripples across the surface. The distorted water reflection caused by the ripples adds a sense of intrigue to the picture and gives it more of an abstract feel. This effect can be exaggerated by excluding the main subject from the picture and concentrating solely on the reflection. Lakeside trees work well with this treatment, and the effect is colourful during the autumn. Water reflections don't have to be of a grand landscape. For example, cutting out the sky from the picture can sometimes produce a much stronger image. Smaller aspects such as reeds and rocks also make good subjects when they are skilfully composed to include areas of colourful reflections in the water – from a blue sky or at sunrise or sunset. This technique can work best when the foreground elements are in shadow. By then exposing for the brightest part of the water, the foreground is thrown into silhouette to create an image strong on shape and colour. Shoot subjects plus their reflection or just the reflection – still water or ripples. If you add foreground interest such as rocks or a boat, there is no shortage of ideas to create pictures that pack a double punch. That's something worth reflecting on… PAGE 1: Best subjects and times to shoot a water reflection PAGE 2: Three must-know techniques for shooting a water reflection PAGE 3: Final tips for shooting water reflections successfully READ MORE Water photography: make stunning pictures of water in any environment The 10 Commandments of Landscape Photography (and how to break them) What is a polarizer filter: how to reduce reflections in pictures of water The landscape’s greatest challenges: a free photography cheat sheet 10 common landscape photography mistakes every photographer makes Nikon Df vs D610 vs D800: 12 things to know about Nikon's full frame cameras Nov 5th 2013, 11:56, by jmeyer The Nikon Df, the manufacturer’s brand new retro-styled DSLR, recalls the look and feel of classic Nikon film cameras, but how does it stack up against Nikon's existing full-frame DSLRs? And how much do you pay for this blast from the past? Is it really a serious proposition for the modern digital photographer? There are so many questions, and we try to answer them in our Nikon Df vs D610 vs D800 comparison. Our resident Nikon guru, Rod Lawton, of our sister title N-Photo, examines all three cameras, looking at their sensor specifications on down to their construction and battery life. Our Nikon Df vs D610 vs D800 comparison analyses each camera’s key specifications to see where they overlap… and where they don’t. Nikon Df vs D610 vs D800: 01 Sensor Nikon has chosen the 16.2-megapixel full-frame sensor from the D4 for the new Df, which seems an odd choice in some ways. It makes sure that the Nikon Df doesn't overshadow the performance of the D610 and D800, and it does promise excellent high ISO performance, but the Nikon Df doesn't provide the high continuous shooting speeds of the Nikon D4, so the relatively low resolution (for a full-frame camera) doesn’t quite bring the benefits of the D4. We would expect the D610 to produce higher levels of detail, and the D800 will be sharper again. On the plus side, the Nikon Df should get better shots in low light than either the D610 or the D800, and it's aimed at photographers who want to recapture the experience of photography rather than just the end result, so megapixels are not necessarily the point. Besides, from our experience of the Nikon D4, that 16.2-megapixel sensor should deliver pictures of great clarity and quality regardless of the number of pixels. SEE MORE: 100 Nikon DSLR tips you need to know right now Nikon Df vs D610 vs D800: 02 ISO range The Nikon Df shares the same ISO range as the D4, from ISO100-12,800, expandable to ISO50-204,000. This puts it way ahead of both the D610 and the D800, which both have an ISO range of 100-6,400, expandable to ISO50-25,600. The Nikon Df may have fewer megapixels, but this is where it pays off, because each photo site on the sensor is bigger and can capture more light. SEE MORE: Nikon D5300 vs D5100 vs D5200: 13 key differences you need to know about Nikon Df vs D610 vs D800: 03 Continuous shooting The Nikon Df has the sensor of the Nikon D4, but it does not have the D4's 11 frame-per-second shutter mechanism or massive buffer capacity. Instead, the continuous shooting speed is limited to an adequate but unexceptional 5.5 frames per second, which is beaten – just – by the 6 frames per second of the D610. The Nikon D800 lags behind at just 4 frames per second, but can be excused because of its high resolution, more than double that of the Df and 50% more than the D610. The Nikon Df is not sports camera, then, but it holds its own amongst its similarly-priced stablemates. We have no news yet on the buffer capacity (how many shots you can take before the camera has to stop to process them). PAGE 1 – Nikon Df vs D610 vs D800: Sensor, ISO, Continuous shooting PAGE 2 – Nikon Df vs D610 vs D800: Movies, Lenses, Memory PAGE 3 – Nikon Df vs D610 vs D800: Flash, Construction, Handling PAGE 4 – Nikon Df vs D610 vs D800: Size, Battery, Price PAGE 5 – Nikon Df vs D610 vs D800: What we think READ MORE 99 common photography problems (and how to solve them) 44 essential digital camera tips and tricks 10 common exposure problems every photographer faces (and how to overcome them) Sony A7R vs Nikon D800: which full-frame camera should you buy? Canon EOS cameras: 100 things you never knew they could do

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