Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 4 i Nikon Photography The Complete Manual

THE NIKON GEAR GUIDE Now that the majority of retail activity is performed online, it signals the end of the high street shop, a place where you would normally have visited and been able to see the available options in the flesh as it were; and then talk to the experts about the various aspects of the cameras and make a better informed decision about which one would have been right for you. To help you out, over the following pages we take a look at the primary Nikon range, explain a little about how they work and also look at some of the lenses and accessories that are available to help you take better photos. We even have a series of informative photographic projects and valuable 'how it's done'…

KEYMISSION ACCESSORIES Any action camera system will stand or fall depending on its mount system and what is available for it. Since the KeyMission range is a relative newcomer to the action cam market, its range of accessories is not yet as large or as varied as its main competitor, the GoPro range of action cameras. That said, there are still enough options to extend the capabilities of your KeyMission devices, with extra batteries, remote controls, underwater housings and mounting options. To get you started, here is a brief list of some on offer. Wrist Strap Mount Compatible with: KeyMission 170, KeyMission 360 The AA-6 Wrist Strap Mount allows for the camera to be mounted via your wrist for shooting while surfing, skiingor other ctive sports. Waterrepellent performance ensures reliable…

SHOOTING MODES All but the most basic budget compact cameras have a selection of shooting modes, usually chosen by a dial on the top or back of the camera. Easy-to-use, mainly automatic cameras in the range will only have a few shooting modes, while the more sophisticated cameras such as the DSLR may have as many as a dozen, including manual exposure options and user-programmable special settings. As newer models appear in the range or older models are updated, the shooting modes available will be revised and possibly expanded. Shown on this spread are some of the most often used modes selected from the mode dial on the top of the camera and in some cases, from the menu screen on the back of the camera. Auto The camera will…

APERTURE AND DEPTH OF FIELD Of the three main controls common to nearly all cameras, shutter speed, focus and aperture, it is aperture adjustment that is the least well understood. This is because it not only helps to control exposure, but also affects something called Depth of Field. Understanding the effects of aperture size is a vital skill for any keen photographer. At least there's nothing mysterious about the name. The aperture is literally a hole through which light passes after it enters the lens. The diameter of this hole can be altered, allowing a greater or smaller amount of light to pass through on its way to the sensor. In the early days of photography, aperture was adjusted by slotting cards with different sized holes cut in them into…

TIPS FOR BETTER PHOTOS Professional photographers use some very simple tricks and rules-of-thumb that have been developed over many years, including rules of composition that are inspired by classical art. Combined with technical skill and a thorough understanding of the principles of photography that we laid out in the previous section, these artistic methods produce well-balanced, attractive photographs that will really stand out. However the true artistic inspiration that differentiates a talented photographer from merely a skilled technician must come from within, and can't be taught by any guidebook. There are of course many more secrets and tricks in the field of creative photography that we haven't room to cover, but hopefully we can show you some basic ideas and tips that will form the foundation of your hobby and…

EXPLORE THE MACRO WORLD It comes down to personal preference of course, but we would always recommend beginning your macro photography experience indoors. This type of photography does not require a lot of space. As long as you have your camera, lens, tripod, a tabletop and a light source, you are ready to begin. You're in comfortable surroundings and you aren't subject to the vagaries of the weather. You can concentrate on learning the craft and a cup of coffee isn't far away either! To be honest, anything and everything is fair game for macro photography. A lot of macro work can be seen on picture sharing sites like Flickr. The insect world is a popular subject for macro photography, as is plant life. Browsing through our images may give…

SHOOTING INTO THE LIGHT If you've ever been given any photography advice and had some pearls of wisdom passed down to you, chances are that one of the main ones would have been that you should not shoot into your scene's main light source or the sun. This advice goes on to say that you should always have the sun at your back or at least over one shoulder. While this is one aspect of working with light that works well enough for a variety of situations, it doesn't always have to be the case. Yes, you should never 'look' directly into the sun or very bright sources of illumination of course, but why should you not let your camera do it for you? Conventional wisdom states that you should…

FOCUSING Autofocus is so easy to use that the focus switch on some of your lenses may never have been moved to the manual position. Most of the time autofocusing gives excellent results. It is faster than manual focusing, and often more accurate. However, autofocusing operates by a series of rules (algorithms). There may be times when these do not give the results you want. Nikon DSLRs use a multi-sensor autofocus system called Multi-CAM, with up to 51 focus points, including a number of highly sensitive cross-type sensors. It is widely regarded as the best current AF system. The sensor sits in the base of the camera and a sub-mirror behind the camera's reflex mirror reflects light down to the sensor. This light is split by a small lens assembly…

1 Choose the right camera When you're looking to buy a new camera for your photography, make a list of your requirements and set yourself a budget. Don't forget to allow for accessories such as lenses, a tripod and cleaning kit if you need them. Don't fall in to the trap of thinking that a more expensive camera will make you a better photographer. You're much more likely to improve your technique by overcoming the limitations of cheaper kit than by spending more money than you need to. 2 Choose the right lens If you're buying a compact system camera or DSLR, it will probably come with a standard telephoto lens that is ideal for general photography and snapshots but there is a wide variety of special lenses available for other types…

OUTDOOR MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY Macro photography is the capture of tiny objects and organisms on your camera sensor at life-size or greater using a specialist lens or other equipment. In the case of shooting with a full-frame DSLR, a macro image of 1:1 means that if you had an old 35mm negative measuring 36 x 24mm, at its closest focusing distance, you would be able to fill your camera's viewfinder with that negative and photograph it. For a DSLR owner, the most obvious route into macro photography is to buy a macro lens. If budget is no consideration, then full-frame macro lenses with image stabilisation are a great choice. There are more pocket friendly lenses for 100mm full-frame and 40mm crop-sensor models. Macro lenses offer the best optical quality, but if…

THE FISHEYE LENS “It's important to choose the right lens for the job, but top quality DSLR lenses are very expensive.” Digital SLR systems offer the greatest versatility of any photographic system, and represent the best compromise between quality and portability. The best CSC systems are still some way behind, but are catching up fast. There are lenses and other accessories available to suit every type of photography, both amateur and professional. It isworth being aware that top quality DSLR lenses like this also command top prices. This photographer is using a very specialist lens to get this shot of a rural scene froma different perspective. The extreme nature of the distortion and thewide field of view this lens gives you is apparent, as is the visible curvature of the…

Shallow depth of field portraits, when done well, are stunning to look at. The main focus of the subject is sharp, but everything else falls away into a lovely soft background that has no annoying distractions. When shooting a portrait with the idea of using a very shallow depth of field, there are a couple of things you need to bear in mind to make sure you achieve the desired end result. The correct lens for the job is your first consideration. You will need to use a lens that has a maximum aperture anywhere in the range of f/2.8 up to f/1.2. Fixed focal length prime lenses are much prized for portrait work as they are generally the ones that offer the much wider apertures and excellent image quality.…

DAWN PHOTOGRAPHY Photographers have a phrase, the “golden hour”, which refers to the first and last hours of light in the day, but particularly the special light one only sees at dawn. To capture a shot like the one on this page requires not only precise control of exposure, but also the dedication and patience to wake up while it's still dark and get set up to take the photo before the sun rises. Since that beautiful morning mist depends on the weather conditions, you might have to try several mornings in a row to get a shot this good. You have to be pretty committed to your art to go above and beyond! As for the technical aspects of the shot, the photographer has used a medium wide focal…

UNDERSTAND PHOTOGRAPHY Modern Nikon cameras are marvels of miniaturised technology, with many automatic functions to help you take good photos in a wide range of different situations. However by learning more about how your camera works and how to use its many features you can expand the scope of your photography and get good results every time, even in difficult conditions. For owners of more advanced DSLRs there are options such as aperture and shutter speed control, sensitivity and white balance, as well as creative light metering modes and manual focusing, all of which can be used creatively to make your photos really stand out. Photography is a rewarding and potentially profitable hobby, and the more you learn about it the more you'll get out of it.Read on and find…

Now you're familiar with how your camera works and how to use its many features, you're ready to start learning the creative techniques that professional photographers use to achieve great results time after time. By learning and using a few simple techniques you can turn your photographs from well-taken snapshots into works of art of which you can be proud. Professional photographers use some very simple tricks and rulesof-thumb that have been developed over many years, including rules of composition that are inspired by classical art. Combined with technical skill and a thorough understanding of the principles of photography that we laid out in the previous section, these artistic methods produce wellbalanced, attractive photographs that will really stand out. However the true artistic inspiration that differentiates a talented photographer from…

SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD Careful control of depth of field by adjusting aperture and focal length is one of the most striking creative techniques available to the photographer, and you don't need any special equipment to do it, just your camera and a zoom lens. Careful control of depth of field by adjusting aperture and focal length is one of the most striking creative techniques available to the photographer, and you don't need any special equipment to do it, just your camera and a zoom lens. of field but by carefully focusing on the creature's body the effect of this narrowplane of focus is to isolate the insect againstwhat could otherwise be a busy and distracting leafy background. One consideration to bear inmind is that whenworkingwith very shallowdepth of field,…

WILDLIFE AT THE ZOO While the top wildlife photographers jet off to exotic locations to capture their photos, for those of us of more modest means, zoos and wildlife parks can provide many opportunities to photograph animals in more controlled and easily accessible locations. Most wildlife parks try to ensure that their animals are kept in surroundings that closely match their natural environment. Zoos and parks will usually actively encourage photography, and often build their enclosures to provide an unobstructed view of the animals, so by careful use of a telephoto lens it should be possible to exclude anything from the shot that might give away the fact that it was not shot in the wild. Since likemost zoo animals the lions are accustomed to visitors, they seemquite happy to…

PET PHOTOGRAPHY We love our pets. In fact for most people they are more than mere pets and become more like family members, the recipients of love, affection and lavish attention. It is likely then that their owners, at some point, are going to want photographs of their furry friends (or scaly, feathery or otherwise). We have a dog, and the number of photos that include him specifically outnumber those of all our other family members put together. However, pet photography presents its own special problems. Animals, as we all know, can be unpredictable, lazy, aggressive, hyperactive and downright cute. If you're thinking of trying pet photography, here are a few pointers to get you started. Pet personality profile You don't need to sit the pet in question on a…

NEUTRAL DENSITY GRADS You are out and about happily taking photographs, with gorgeous sunshine to brighten the experience. It's your last day before venturing off home and you happen upon a scene that you want to capture. The sun is rising and its position is creating a dramatic lighting effect. What can you do to get the most from the opportunity? The problem is that the dynamic range of the scene before you is very extreme because the sun itself is part of the shot. You have options, of course. If you had the time you could wait until the next day when the sun is in a different part of the sky but then you wouldn't have the drama of the sun low to the horizon. You could bracket…