Review Digital Camera World 07-13-2014

Digital Camera World

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This Week in Photography – news from 7-13 July Jul 13th 2014, 09:00, by jmeyer Welcome to our weekly photography news round-up, with the stories that matter to serious photographers. Olympus PEN E-PL6 set for UK release Olympus has announced the UK release of the Pen E-PL6, a small and lightweight compact system camera that ships with the M Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ pancake lens. Compared to the older E-PL5, the newer camera features a minimum ISO setting of 100 and interval shooting of between one second to 24 hours, for up to 99 shots. The camera also ships with a FlashAir SD card, for easy Wi-Fi transmission. The Pen E-PL6 goes onsale mid-July for £429.99 (or the equivalent in other currencies). DxO Optics Pro update DxO Labs has announced Optics Pro v9.5.1 for Mac and Windows. This upgrade means the popular image-editing software can now support new Sony α7s (Elite Edition only) and the Sony DSC-RX100 III and SLT-A77 II, the Nikon 1 J4, and the Samsung NX30 (both Standard and Elite Editions). Iconic WWII Leica up for auction Think of the most famous images from Word War Two, and Yevgeni Khaldei’s ‘Raising a Flag over the Reichstag’ will soon come to mind. Top auction house Bonhams is selling the Leica camera that Khaldei used to take the image, soon after the fall of the Reichstag on May 2, 1945. "It is a great privilege to be selling a camera with such evocative associations,"  said Bonham’s Jon Baddeley. "Raising a Flag over the Reichstag is a defining image of victory over evil which affected people deeply at the time and has continued to resonate for later generations." The image is actually a re-staging of a moment two days earlier, when Red Army soldiers flew the flag over the building before being repulsed by the German defenders. The Leica goes onsale at Bonhams Leica Centenary Sale in Hong Kong on 30th November and is expected to fetch between £230,000-340,000. NME music competition open for entries Into music photography? NME’s Music Photography Awards 2014 is now open open for entries. Entries are invited from both professional and amateur photographers, and the winner in the pro category will walk away with the Nikon D610 and 24-85mm lens. For winners in the amateur categories of live, portrait, festivals, and under-18s, there’s the chance to win the Nikon D5300. SEE MORE: 11 music photography mistakes everyone always makes (and how to avoid them) Most socially influential photographers revealed Eyefi has revealed what it claims are the 30 most "socially influential" photographers with the greatest online impact and engagement. According to the company, the study identifies the photographers that are influencing the vast online community of both amateur and professional photographers. "People are constantly capturing and sharing their most special moments. We estimate that more than 2 billion photos are taken every day worldwide," said Alan Bullock of InfoTrends. "Photos are essential to the way we communicate as a society and how we represent ourselves to others." The top five most socially influential photographers include Jeremy Cowart, Joe McNally, Peter Klesken, Chase Jarvis and Adam Bouska. SEE MORE: Scott Kelby – the secret to growing a loyal legion of followers Leica M-Monochrom reviewed Fans of black and white photography should definitely check out TechRadar’s authoritative review of the Leica M-Monochrom, an eagerly anticipated, stripped back, black-and-white digital camera for mono purists. It even offers attractive digital grain but what are the downsides, apart from the £6k price tag? READ MORE The 55 best photographers of all time. In the history of the world. Famous photographers: 100 things we wish we knew starting out 50 photography tips from jobbing pros to famous photographers 77 photography techniques, tips and tricks for taking pictures of anything Lee Little Stopper filter review Jul 12th 2014, 23:01, by jmeyer The Big Stopper has been a staple of landscape photographers everywhere. Is Lee's new filter, the Lee Little Stopper just as good? Find out in our review. With a ten stop exposure reduction, Lee's original Big Stopper is designed to allow much longer exposure times, but at dawn and dusk it can be too much. The new Lee Little Stopper is rated at six stops – it will extend an exposure of 1/250 sec to 1/4 sec, say. In order to ensure that no light leaks between filter and holder, a thin foam pad is fitted to one side of the glass, forming a perfect seal. This pad also helps to hold the filter in the holder securely while still enabling its easy removal. SEE MORE: 10 tips for using your 10-stop ND filter Measuring 100 x 100mm, the Little Stopper uses the standard Lee filter holder, rather than the more common and smaller P-type. This means that you'll need to invest in the Lee Foundation Kit along side the filter, but it is a set that will last a lifetime. Lee has recently changed the packaging for both the Big and Little Stopper: both now arrive in a foam-lined metal tin to ensure that the pricey filter is protected while it isn't in use. Price: $140, £99 Score: 4/5 READ MORE How and when to use ND filters (and what the numbers mean) 9 filter mistakes every photographer makes (and how to avoid them) Best graduated neutral density filters: 6 models tested and rated ND Grad filters: what every photographer needs to know Photoguard – specialist insurance provider When will you think about insuring your camera and equipment? After you've read this? Or after you've dropped your beloved camera potentially smashing or damaging it? Photoguard – here for photographers before things go wrong. Receive an online insurance quote in seconds.   The REAL definition of bad photography Jul 12th 2014, 16:00, by jmeyer Former editor of our print magazine, Geoff Harris, paints pictures with words, waxes lyrical and intermittently blows his top in his new column. In his debut he ponders the true definition of ‘bad’ photography. Welcome to my new column where I will pick apart the topics that matter to the serious photographer. I’m going to begin by talking about ‘bad’ photography, a subject on which I can speak with authority. But this is not about me, it’s about what, exactly, so we mean by ‘bad’ photography? Travel firm CheapHolidayLand.com recently got a lot of column inches by promoting its regular competition to find Britain’s worst holiday photographer, and we all chuckled at the off-kilter composition and ‘creative’ focussing on display. It’s a cheap laugh at the expense of the clueless snappers who were named and shamed, and good publicity for CheapHolidayLand.com. For me, though, really bad photography is work that lacks creativity and imagination. The box-ticking landscape photographer who delivers the same kind of hackneyed, formulaic image we’ve seen a million times before, usually in some done-to-death place like Durdle Dor in Dorset, the Isle of Skye, or Yosemite. Big boulder to deliver foreground interest – tick. A footpath ‘leading in’ the eye – tick. Overcooked ND Grad sky that looks like the start of Armageddon – tick. Or the lazy wedding photographer who charges the bride a bomb for lots of stiffly posed, overflashed images – or at the other end of the scale, the ‘journalistic’ wedding ‘tog who uses their relaxed style to cover up sloppy composition and poor camera technique. So I say the real crime against photography is a lack of creative effort. It’s the difference between a painting by Van Gogh and painting by numbers. Now, we can’t all be Van Gogh, but try and do one thing for your photography this week – whether you are a beginner or a pro, try to approach your landscape or a portrait work in a fresher, more open-minded way. Take some risks. If you’re feeling a bit stuck, take some time out to look at creative work online, browse some cool new photography books in a store or go to a gallery. Try to think different. What’s the point of just copying somebody else’s idea of ‘good’ photography? That, to me, is the definition of bad photography. READ MORE 10 landscape photography mistakes every photographer makes (and how to avoid them) Classic portrait ideas: how to take pictures of people from all walks of life 6 camera settings photographers always get wrong (and how to get it right)  21 street photography tips from the professionals Behind the Image: Andrea Denniss on natural light and inspirational moments Jul 12th 2014, 10:00, by jmeyer To celebrate the lead up to PhotoLive 2014, we'll be featuring a different image from each photographer speaking at the event. Sometimes a spectacular image happens when you least expect it. Andrea Denniss explains how when the perfect light, model and idea come together something magical takes place. Image by Andrea Denniss This has to be one of my favourite images from last year and was taken on my Getting Started in Photography course at Aspire Photography Training. I take delegates out on a shoot as part of the course so they can put into practice what they have learnt. It’s a great way to watch and experience a shoot and see how you can use the environment and light available to produce beautiful images you can be proud of. This image represents an inspirational moment when the perfect light, model and idea came together – the leaves around us were just irresistible and the light was incredible, a gentle autumn sun. There is nothing more exciting than when this happens. The shot was not pre-planned it evolved through the shoot and the environment we were in. SEE MORE: 10 common posing mistakes every photographer makes (and how to avoid them) The key here was knowing where the light was and positioning the model so she was front lit. I always know where my light is and work with it. Using natural/available light is challenging and exciting and constantly changing – learning about it and spending time watching it will be time well spent. The background needed to be far enough away so with a wide aperture the model really stood out as the centre of attention and nothing was there to distract the eye. I always shoot at f3.5 and below. SEE MORE: Best budget prime lens – 8 top portraiture optics tested and rated I shot a set of images all with different compositions, which I do for each situation, and for me this one worked best. It was taken with my Canon 1D, which I love, and my 70-200mm 2.8L, one of my favourite lenses. Andrea will be running two sessions at PhotoLive 2014: Introduction to Lifestyle and Portraiture Photographing Children's and Family Portraits Find Andrea on Facebook, or check out her website to see more of her amazing pictures. PhotoLive takes place in Leeds (23 Aug), Edinburgh (30 Aug) and London (06 Sep). You can view the full schedule and book tickets at photo-live.com. Use code DCAM20 and get 20% off your ticket. READ MORE Portrait editing: simple tricks to add a touch of class to your pictures How to pose for photos: find the most flattering angles for you and your subjects 10 portrait photography mistakes every photographer makes (and how to fix them) Famous Photographers: 225 tips to inspire you

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