TRENDS IN THE TRAVEL PHOTO TRADE Mf a | PHOTOGRAPHER'S EYE TREKS, TRIPS, “+l : : las ca ee ey — Oe aNON Ona) > aio é = =n oe sah On Meee Bia xthe OMNI" Reflector + Multi-purpose modifier system forall shooting styles + 18" diameter ‘sweet spot” size for snappy contrast + Optimal fo sports shooting up to 80 + 30° even coverage with smooth feathering + Perfect for overpowering the sun from a distance + Included 3-layercifuser sock forms perfect “RoundBiox” with ultra-even face illumination for stunning catchlights and rendering of silver, lassware, etc. - beats all sotboxes + 120° extremely even coverage with sock ~ ‘optimal for close-in low key lighting, or for wide Coverage of groups or large products + Fits all standard BUFF™ flash units FIGURE ONE + DIRECT COVERAGE ANGLE = 0° F32+ @10, 180100, 610WS 5.6 @ 80" 1S0200, e10WS FIGURE TWO * W/DIFFUSER ‘COVERAGE ANGLE 120° F11 @10,IS0100, 610s F4 @30%, 180100, SWS FIGURE ONE ... DIRECT REFLECTOR PATTERN ‘Very even 30° coverage with smooth feathering. Extreme output is ideal for overpowering the sun and for sports and other uses requiring tong lightto-subjct distances (8 achievable at 56 $0200 for gyms, tc). For gif-on-the-beach shots, ight placement of 14 to 20° liminates the unnatural look and wind-prone nature of sft boxes and umbrellas, yet stil allows 116-22 exposure ($0100, 640WS). ‘Also useful for high-koy shooting Inthe studio and on location, from a modesty large, punchy ight source. FIGURE TWO ... WITH INCLUDED 3-LAYER DIFFUSER SOCK xcoadingly even 120° coverage and manageable exposure lvels makes this te perfect choice fr high Koy, mid-kay and group lighting. Your go-to stusio modifier. Tho 18" diameter is considered ideal by many pros for swoet-spot contrast, speculaty and shadow contra. Felatwoly low output and. buttory-smooth coverage _mako this, configuration ideal for beauty dish syle, close-in ighting (is achieved at 30", SWS, 150109, ‘Wo suggest using the OMNI plus fuser in place of beauty dishes or softboxes for many shooters. Still mora control and 6/10 lower output i ‘obiained by adcing the accessory 20° gtd spt. includes the reflector and triple-layer diffusion sock FIGURE THREE + W/20" GRID ‘COVERAGE ANGLE = 20" F8,9/10 WIDIFFUSER, 10° 2246/10 WINO DIFFUSER, 10 FIGURE FOUR » FACE VIEW ‘VERY EVEN ILLUMINATION +/- Val ACROSS SURFACE PERFECTLY ROUND SHAPE FIGURE THREE ... PATTERN WITH OPTIONAL 20° GRID (optional 20° honeycomb grid sold separately Use the gr iectyon the OMNI for high output Hollywood style selec: tio lighting with superior spill control and isolation, For closen mood lighting, place the grid over the triple ayer iftusor to further reduce the output to achieve high fallof, high contrast, low Koy lighting eects. Reduces the ight output ancther 2/3 stop, allowing even closer placement at wide-opon apertures. No “dark center" typical with Dauty shes FIGURE FOUR .... FACE VIEW WITH INCLUDED DIFFUSER ‘OMNI is designed such thatthe light rays strko tho surface of the in cluded aifusor event rom center to edges, This deals ignored in most other reflectors The results dogroe of evenness across the ciflusor face tha is unvalod by the best softboxos or beauty dishes, yielding anextromely even, perfectly round ight-souree for great catehighs and beaut rendering of eietve bjects such a siverware, vases, etc High fusion reduces ight ouput fo flow low dopth-o-hetd shooting with close light-to-subjoct astances, ‘Adding the optional 20° honeycomb grid (sold seperately over the difuser further reduces output and eliminates spl ight for even closer ighting, en hanced mood and sofvselctve lighting.VAGABOND™ LITHIUM EXTREME Sa eel a s Vagabond™ Lithium Extreme eS CS area) Oey ee eg & Charger, and the buitin 1 1/2" stand mount Sones PCs yaad De eee Coe rnd SO a ee Cee eRe orn eee ecu od ee ete een Steg es? Oe OE aie en en a auc wave power inverter for lightning fast recycling of up to 3200 Ws from up to five De ee ee eae aaa See ese ee eee ee ee Aaa ‘example, three 640 Ws flash units (1920 total Ws) can be recycled in less than six seconds. A single 320 Ws flash as shown cycles in about 1 second and yields Peek a ee sen La coo) Perens Fe ea Cd pene nee et RSC Unlike other systems, VLX™ systems employ vastly superior 6.2 An batteries. The See ee ee ae OR ey charge/discharge life of LiCoxNiyMnzO2 or Sealed Lead Acid batteries used in other power systems, and offer a storage Ife in excess of 10 years, Thus, the operating costs are drastically reduced and frequent expensive battery eee ne eee eee Cage tes ee ee eee Ee ae Ree ee Re ee oe system is ready for heavy duty work, it weighs only 6 pounds - incl STE a EBERT Oa cs ean ee ee eee ara www.paulcbuff.com toll free 1-800-443-5542 Pea Cee Oe ee Re edContents TOOLS 30 DIGITAL INNOVATIONS ‘Travel Photography Tools And Tips by Joe Farace 42 TAMRON SP 150-600MM F/5-6.3 DI VC USD Long-Range Tele-Zoom With Vibration Compensation by George Schau 50 HDR EXPOSE 3 FROM UNIFIED COLOR TECHNOLOGIES IsHandheld HDR Ready For Prime Time? by Jack Neubart 56 ONONE PERFECT 72 seer Pen PHOTO SUITE 8 Stand-Alone Or Plugtn, Powerful Tools Fr Image Enhancement and Corection by Howard Millard 134 DIGITAL HELP Q&A For Digital Photography by David B. Brooks 36 36 NIKON D4s 126 ONE-LIGHT LED 72 BUSINESS TRENDS Lab Test Results & Comments: PORTRAITURE. The Business Of Still & Video Fotodiox’s Pro High-Intensity Travel Photography Edited by George Schaub Studio LED by Maria Piseopo py Joe FaraceExposure 3 Visualize the Possibilities Having spen close to my heart. The look first dig Sree Reece ea cee eT Sea Seen em ac Rs et ey human, nat a computer. The redesigned user interface helps you quickly find just the right look. Exposure can now De ee en Te ene. Le Aig to try Exposure for free.Contents CREATIV 10 PICTURE THIS! Monthly Photo Assignme by The Editors 20 TALKING PICTURES Pushing’The Envelope by Barry Tanenbaum 22 WEB PROFILES Great Photo Sites Reviewed by Joe Farace 26 ON THE ROAD Going Into Motion by Blaine Harrington 80 TRAVEL & THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S EYE The Photography Of Yiming Hu by Lou Jacobs J: 88 SABRINA BASIN HORSE PACK TRIP Photographer ( Family) Head Into The Wild by Josh Miller 96 LOCATIONS Istanbul, Turkey by Efrain M. Padré 120 MY FIRST PHOTOGRAPHIC SHOW Tales From ASolo International Exhibition ON THE COVER photographer's family outing, a special report on how pros are makingit in the z . tough travel market, and a look at some inspiring travel work from a host of DEPARTME: photographers, We also have a special Image Tech lab test on the new Nikon D4S, alook at Tamron’s exciting long-range zoom, and two software reviews to make the most of your post-capture work. This month our focus is on travel photography, with alook at a 8 EDITOR'S NOTES ACUTE ed ares cretion to SWUTERUG, POBox 136 ADVERTISER'S INDEX 116 ETC..SHOPPERS, PHOTO pi LABS, SERVICE/REPAIR, & $1") 4 by Sous erik agains LC Al hs ested ogra of i moat may be rented to EVENTS fae mal pap Payment dtc US nes ony, See Cops $3915), $809 (aa) ODES. 68 PRODUCT PORTFOLIO KEK SSUES: Tore bc ses, vi wmwsnbaces comhs [0] A tas) Manfrotto’s most popular tripod sets a new industry benchmark: it's even more nes ah CeCe eee oN Mer Tne DeLeer} JULY 204 Travel & Your Photography HERE'S NOTHING open your eyes afresh. Whether it’sacross the state or in a new city or to far-flung places around the world, our mind: the newness of it all, photography follows accordingly. As. parable, when in :mpire State Building, and when I walk by on my way home I see New York my office is quite close to t dozens of people pointing their cameras st angling fora good view. I sometimes forge AKEatrip to sreact to and our traight up or just what might have caught their eye—then I remember the ‘grand old building that is such a NY something I walk by nearly: bother to look up. For others, though, it’s an amazing site worthy of a photo, and that's because their eyes are open to what's new around them. In this issue we focus on travel photography with a host of articles ‘on memorable trips, locales, and how photographers react to the light, people, and places around them. Some of the locales are “exotic” while others are simply journals of family trips taken by photographers: we hope that ‘one will inspire you to think about how sharing experiences with the ones you love does not preclude making ‘great images as you go. We also have a comprehensive report on the travel photography market in our Business Trends column, Now that the world is awash in im from every possible locale on dozens of stockand microstock sites, and it seems everyone wants to get into what appears to be a great way to make money with their images, we hear from some travel pros who still make aliving with their cameras. But their emphasis on what sells, and the types of clients they serve, should make you consider what it takes to make ita ble market for your work. ‘There's no question that the market has changed, and the days when you could take a two-week jaunt down mark. It's ery day, and Idon'teven the Danube and hope to make some sales seem like they are over. Not to relive the good old days, but there was period of my photographic journey when I did just that, But even then it took lots of planning, getting shooting lists from my stock ageney, and even contacting travel magazines for their editorial calendars before I went, then editing, submitting, and usually ending up with five placements out of ahundred, But travel photography is certainly not all about makinga couple of bucks from your images. Try an experiment the next time you hit the road, Walk around without your camera for as Jong as you can stand it, Then open up your bag and take the camera out and note how just having a camera in hand changes the way you see, where you investigate, and how it brings you down roads and into spots where you might never have thought to go without it. Then consider making images of people you meet or see along the way. Take it from me, you never know where that will lead you. Tour [20 0, Box 7, Titus, FL 32781 fontexh alse tari Drctor 7 freak Tuvey eorgeSeaab used Cron ee aace ns Heeinges, ager WHE en Semi ry rum San se dreoiector etaro Leach ‘ssa rt Director Mary cone Production Manager chest Pore ‘a Operations Cooranator ac mates ‘dmiistrative Assistant Customer Service Ser) Sun ‘SherrySmosorcom ° (2) 225307 ‘Siberiptons G00) 69540, G00 a8 Stet. PO 80420235 Pal ot FIZ 235 ease clue nae, acess, ana pane nue on gy. iver Cem este Seon Brestnsorccom Sonne orgs oameeorgeasorccam fbn eee TaTGz) 26 sleseshutterbuacam aunt eet cxnzzsaer canzzssi90 cayzzsue Ve sats Sales Operations va ae We Eater Any amend 1, Mantactring& Advertising Operations "CPanel Senior Director, AO hn Te Source ter i ceo Seat Dicey Present, cistern EV, Cle iani office Teasrar Sin evade abet EV, Eats Aatomative Doug ans EV, Chet contet Ofer VF, Cet Aas Ofer ie Frocirament Ofc agus Nace evn ln tre Seb aguas crag cea Todt baby eal baton serpin Company. consumer Marketing Tem ster We Retention 6 Operations Futiest SOURCE INTERLINK Sr i casey. or sere Ie is mage salable o reputable Inret oot eae I Yu preter ob exces. lesen our eet ares bt ol ae feaueting be ee trom fae amotio Sore Interink Meda, LL. 831. Doo tl Sepndo CA 902, Ain Privy Cordatr. tndgowrne Sore er ed er Cnet abmsion ler and atin tes reposts Iigdpmacyscurceneinmea cem/sbnissons Mn prints: Contact Writs est 676525295 (2ai-9-5725 outs the US. an aoa opr yeast reir eis of res patina ths aN © 201 by Suc Iterih Maps, LC. igh free Pine the 3h bas Canasta Caan ates to MCL7 i ENT A I LIVE eases Bits ati eet IbT aeCREATIVITY PICTURE THIS! and figure was used for ends, Often myst technique more often than ignant when we fill inthe blank, if you will, with 4 |A SMALL LOGO MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE 5 CONTIN ENTS 28 MAGAZIN ES 40 AWARDS Ifyou need expert advice on which are the best photographic, video and imaging products, look out for products with the TIPA Awards logo. The TIPA awards are judged on quality, performance and value, making them the independent photo and imaging awards you can trust. In cooperation with the Camera Journal Press Club of Japan. ‘www.tipa.comB == = to = — — Ss ea A————= Shoot the next Hollywood blockbuster with the world’s most amazing digital cinema camera! Th @ eyiees Seah az Orman tn in cal — fag - Blackmagic Cinema Camera = Pp “ s Blackmagicdesign s ae a Learn more today wwwiblackmagicdesign.com/cinemaCREATIVITY eon PICTURE THIS! # PHOTOGRAPHER ON A FROZEN LAKE#DITCHTHeDSLR SAMSUNG NX SYSTEM CAMERAS ARE 7 ee \With lightning fast shutter speeds, ultra-compact designs and smart sharing capabilities, Samsung De eet Nt aie aa en esCREATIVITY PICTURE THIS! rr Co] # FRISBEE AT DUSK DAY PLAY Kenneth Kast made this photo many years back witha NkonF2 anda Nikkor Chip Weiner told us he made ths phot in a park in downtown 24mm 1/28 lens on Ektachrome 400 fim; e then scanned it witha Nikon Super Tampa and it caught his eye because of the innocence ofthe an 500. Scene and his own reminiscence of plying ona hol Exposure with a Canon £0S 5D Mark Il and an EF 1635 US lens was 110 at /500 sec at 80 200 = BIRD ON A WIRE Jeremiah S, Rutherford wrot This photo was taken ofa bird esting on some power ins in my yardWHITE WALL Proud winner of the TIPA award “Best Photo Lab Worldwide” awarded by the editors of 28 leading photography magazines Lambda & Lightlet prints on Fuji and Kodak pigment & can P Mountings on aluminum and under acrylic More than 3,000 framing options Custom sizes Over 220,000 satisfied customers The lab of choice for 12,000 pros and 300 galleries 5-year guarantee Winner of 47 awards from the photo press your photo under acrylic $16.95 6x4 inches GALLERYIQUALITYIFORBosStrap Ee A Si FJ g y ieee eee) Veta ed WHETHER YOU CREATE it with a panoramic ‘sweep mode” (in camera stitch) or shoot a ming, with series of images that you stitch later in software, ha SUF p panoramas offer a unique view of the world that nop single lens can match, You can shoot with tele or wide, interiors or exteriors, but make it grand! 0 to wwwshutterbug.com and register. Scroll down the page and onthe right side you will ‘or submitted images forthe Galeries you can skip tis step. Respond tothe activation e-mail Registration i ree, You will use your username and password whenever you visit or, with some systems, twill automaticaly load for you when you vist ww.shutterbug com, ‘Check the assignment and closing dates in the magazin, When the mag ted we Willereate an appropriate gallery for your images, The limit is two Images per assignment Select and prepare your Images. We oni accept tes ata maximum SMB size, JPEG format Save the JPEG at 8 quality level of 10 or higher. Note thal in your image folder directory wlldetermine uploa sie, not the “opened” ile size, as JPEG compresses at at higher {uality ratings. f your images donot load it probably means you have exceeded the filesize or fave not used JPEG format ‘ick onthe Galleries tab on the homepage. In the Category section use the drop-down Into the assignment category as well as our own personal gallery. When the Pcture Ths assignment deadline date hs lapsed the assignment g s, but yaur images will stil reside in your awn gallery inthe Description bor add title, camera, ens, exposure information, and your full name ‘so add any other comments or anecdotes you think relevant. We reserve the right to eat Click the Save button atthe bottom ofthe page. This You retain copyright on the image We wll choose the images after close of the due date ui Sgetagresrde rine ‘August 15,204. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: aot Yougves pion Images wil appear September 15,2014 Tene We epic te in our November PUBLICATION DATE: ploads the image. 2014 issue December 2014 issue PLEASEHOTE: ie pisgapbichtersniororscopateiicole — ANMES e Gfapouae quotes th uhaeasipec eden acerca) MR a Hhunoriounemetmiomes Toediepson ates — nA eer aey injostis copatviaendieptnne tine scoer esate — ERM es faire ova tem wen eel dine heimae to cataeston Yowtonindiase rms gdlsepagoralmedebasinr cin PLAS MITE: you Zocor ssrceorthe eet yeas ge yovate!bal hemel ages mh an ernce eam a ty Spent apesan mes come Dl ashnw—_rougoltare Geyer Smoseasetrm tae ones, atalimgesyoibl een expose. ard rade. ese inate the have an gatonsorpren mu daha cm ih iter" ee ata rita te et ie eaterThe moment when the streets you walk every day feel new again. This is the moment we work for. // PERFECTION The Touit lens family for Fujifilm X series cameras. Featuring our patented T* ant diaphragms for sup nt out-of focus highlights, and st quality that stands up to real-world use. ZEISS Touit lenses are designed the art and the demands ight photography so that you can rediscover your world in stunning detail comftouitfortyj We makeit visible. coating for maximum flare reduction, nealy circularCREATIVITY ton TALKING PICTURES Pushing The Envelope BYB: NENBAUM REEN SPRING GARDENS in Alexandria, Virginia, is a favorite place or photography for Cindy Dyer, who specializes in botanical subjects, and it was there that two years ago she was featured in an exhibition of 88 of her photos. A visitor to that exhibit, who happened to be the wife of an art director for the U.S. Postal Service, sav her work and mentioned Cindy to her husband, who happened to be looking for specific subject images to license for stamps, Cindy submitted 20 photographs of ferns, from which the Postal Service selected five for First Class Forever Stamps, which are available for purchase online at the USPS website, Two other series ‘of Cindy's botanical images have b licensed for future use. Cindy took her natural light photographs of the ferns in the field usinga white foamcore board fora background, sometimes holding the board in place, sometimes setting it ona light stand, and tripping the shutter of her tripod-mounted camera with a cable release. She is understandably delighted with the exposure the stamps will bring to her work, especially considering the “happened to be” circumstances by which her photos came to the attention of the Postal Service. “I guess the moral of the story is that if you believe in your photos, get them out there so others can see them,” she says. “Quit leaving them onyour hard drive.” = Acollection of Cindy Dyer's botanical photographs can be viewed online at cindydyer.zenfolio.com. ‘TECH TALK: Cindy photographed the Fortune's Holy Fer featured here witha Nikon D300 and an AFS VR Micro-Nkkor1OSmm /2.86 [FD at 1100 sec 71, and ISO 400, using manual exposure and center weighted metering, : $ 2oTauuy [20m“perfectly Clear is my first-move, go-to plugin. The transformation is immediate and amazing and dramatically increases the speed and efficacy of my workflow.” Yn, ea 7 tonysweet.com Perfect your photos with just one click (and save 25% with just one more) What makes Perfectly Clear better than filters and enhancers? Our award-winning technology applies 12 automatic corrections to overcome the way your camera distorts images, saving you countless hours of editing in an instant. Visit athentech.com/shutterbug and enter coupon code STB14to save 25%. ©Perfectly Clear Intelligent Image CorrectionCREATIVITY r Leal WEB PROFILES Shutterbug’s Shutterbugs EXPLORING READERS’ SITES “There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone's life.”-SISTER MARY ROSE MCGEADY BY JOE FARACE N ANY GIVEN issue of this magazine you'll see lots of different genres of photography represented, showing. the diversity not only of subject matter but also how these subjects are treated aesthetically and technically. It's this diversity of style that makes the magazine so readable as well as so much fun, Our readers are a diverse lot, too, and this month you will see an all-readers’ Web Profiles. These readers come from all over the country and. use a variety of methods to display their work, but they all have one thing in common: an overriding passion for the art and eraft of photography. Volker Firnkes is a German native residingin Florida whose vision clearly embraces American culture. To display his images, he uses Zenfolio (www.zenfolio.com), an all-in-one solution for photographers to displa images into four main galleries: Recently Added, Portfolios, Events, and Weddings. In Portfolios there are 10 collections of images as well as subcollections all showing a wide-ranging style, from highly personal to professional. There's a soundtrack accompanying these collections that may be turned off ifthe tunesare not to your taste His Classic Black & White images are not purely monochromatic and include toned and selectively colored photographs, many of which are posed and candid portraits that show his distinctly European style. That distinctive style manifests itself in “Dia de los Muertos,” a portrait of abride posing next toa limousine but wearing full Day of the Dead Vote Fic makeup. And if that’s your cup of tea, you'll also enjoy his zombie portraits for the full George Romero experience. Even his nature and scenic images could hardly be called traditional because Volker Firnkes brings his own unique and highly personal view of the world to bear in all of his imagery, creating, ifyou will, an alternate universe that while similar to our ‘own, has just enough Twilight Zone in it to make you want to keep looking through all of the collections. Ree eel Shutterbug reader Chris Lord is another transplant, this time from the UK, and calls the Big Apple his home. In this site Lord has created a fairy-tale land of HDR photography and collected arresting images in six galleries. Heck, even, his portrait in “Meet the Artist” is HDR, and one of the best portraits of a photographer I've seen in a long, long while. (We make terrible subjects for other shooters.) The first two galleries include images from both his original and adopted home, but I started with the United Kingdom, which has three subcollections, including The Brighton Experience. Lord's approach to HDR mixes well with his share, and sell work. He's collectedays abe DSLR Pop-up Flash Booster ~ 7 = A Extend |the ranse) or Your pop-up hash » Lens focuses light from your pop-up flash DN detect itt » Use with Canon APS-C and Nikon DX sensor cameras ao LETC NY Yel=salo eee - FLASHBENDERS: on i ¥ Soft Boxes Geile elisa panel Sera See ray nee \ t A a J var iret e ctl) Mees) gens erg Sees Se een) Se Oe ay Flash Grids Sie gles ecu Sy Sen eect) Seoul RogueFlash.com <> eer ee es senate I) iI Toi vole} Sis pecs Mee usa Se ne eee Sea ere ees Sue tomicP| CREATIVITY Lal WEB PROFILES nostalgic approach to image making and the subject matter His beautifully crafted athand. Hi intage lush and whimsical image of the Brighton Edward Steichen's “The Flatiron” and Spid iron” recalls both ~Man, Royal Pavilion summons up impressions of Douglas no mean accomplishment for a single photograph. If Fairbanks in 1924's The Thief of Bagdad, while his precisely _ I'm sounding bit rhapsodic it’s because Chris Lord's composed image of people on the beach with apier inthe photographs filled me witha sense that the images are background recalls postcards of the 1940s, but isstill very spectacular in execution with a real feeling that the much of today photographer is having lots of fun creating them. Be sure to The same time-travel whimsy is on hand with Exploring explore the other galleries, too, because if you think HDR is Manhattan, part of the six collection Glimpses of Gotham. passé, think again, see ue ee a cu | Jim Liestman appears tobe a gentleman. A former chaplain, his spiritual orientation. oul have to visit to savor them alll just give gous glimpse, goal isto “share the beauty of God's creation with my photography: ‘The All My Photos gallery contains 14 collections of subtly beautiful nature and landscape photography that have titles revealing thei 've always loved New York's Finger Lakes country so I jumped into New York Fingerlakes, Adirondacks & Catskills first. When you delve into a collection, you're greeted by a light box-style interfa Clicking a thumbnail shows. larger image and gives access to successive photographs, such as “Eagle Cliff Falls at Havana Glen Park, Montour Falls, NY,” showing the unmanipulated beauty of nature: and Liestr 1's skill set using long shutter speeds to add a touch of verisimilitude. In Canyonlands of the Southwest he takes you to Arizona and Utah, again focusingon the purity of the landscape using his compositional and technical skills to capture images of a world largely untouched by the hand of man, although he sneaks in an abandoned wagon in “Capitol Reef National Park” to show that the landscape is the ultimate victor. Through these collections, Jim Liestman’s skillful use of color enhances the viewing experience, showing, as one of his galleries is entitled, All Things Bright And Beautiful. The understated design of rays exploratory and experimental and, dare I say, playful nature of the esa) images contained within. His Gallery contains 15 collections of images un ites ranging from multiple exposures with Holga cameras (The Holga Pool) to the Revolog Scratched Negative Study, where he revels in images of decaying and dilapidated buildings that are a counterpoint to slickly produced architectural images. Tip: Revolog (www.revolog.nel) is an Austrian company that hand makes special effects films and that tip alone made my visit worthwhile. While his images in Portraits may be traditional, others, as in Cryptic Playdate, take on the type of “baby doll” portraits epitomized by the work of the late M. Richard Kirstel in the 1970s. But here Parrott puts his own spin on the imagery that is both bizarre and representative of his matchless view of the world. Clearly, Parrott is in the running as the Mr. . Magination of photography, but his obvious jofe de vivre in creating oft-brilliantly conceived images shows that he is also an artist in the finest tradition of creating art purely from the imagination. If you're a “pretty pictures” kind of photographer you might not get what Steven K. Parrott is trying to accomplish, but the world of photography isa big one and encompasses all kind of genres, including some, like these, that nobody has yet thought about. wven K, Parrott’s website hides the Joe Farace invites Shutterbug readers to visit his websites, including www.JoeFarace.com and www.JoeFaraceShootsCars.com, which also includes a blog with tips on photographing cars and motorsports.SIGMA EXEMPLARY. ‘The new standard for high performance zoom lenses. With a constant Fé aperture and Optical Stabilization, this highly requested lens with a versatile zoom range yields gorgeous images. 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM Case and Hood LH876-02 included USA4 Year Service Protection f ‘SIGMA us® Dock nover thought possible. Sold separately SIGMA Corporation of America| 16 Fleetwood Court | Ronkonkoma, NY 11778, U.S.A. | Tel: (631) 68 Follow us Twitter @sigma_photo and Facebook.com/sigmacorporationofamerica 1144 | www. SigmaPhoto.com| ON THE ROAD Going Into Motion ATRIP ALONG THE LEARNING CURVE 7 t:ans.AGor took photograph of prayer flagsat a YF buddhist monastery J nBhutan ands Twas shooting the image I wished I could also shoot video to record the movement ofthe flags and the sound they made as they danced in the wind. Tnever forgot that moment or let 0 of the idea itplanted, and onattrip to Asia lat fall, earrying with me acamera that was capable of video capture, Iwas ready to give motion ause I saw pictures a try-not be them as a new area of income for me as.atravel photographer (though it might work out to some extent with stock video clips), but because I really wanted to see what kinds of stories I could tell with video. Tworked with the camera at home totestit before the trip, but I didn’t, take a lot of time perfectinga video technique. My main concern was a balance of time; simply, how do I fit vvideo into my travels while doing the still photography that was the prime reason I'd be traveling? A friend gave me good advice: Do your still work first, and then ifa location, scene, or event is there to be further explored, take video footage. Another concern was the creative thinking that comes along with the switch from stills to video. When 1 shoot stills I feel I've got to tell the whole story in one picture, to explain the situation in one frame. With video, the story develops and the shots are created to follow the story line. The fact that there's nota single shot to tell the story calls for a different way of thinking about the organization of the shots, I sort and arrange my still images when I edit them; with video, shot follows shot, and although I knew I could edi I wanted to keep that toa minimum. So I had to think about sequence: establishing shots, medium close-ups, asa video beginner BY BLAINE HARRINGTON A Hemis Monastry i he Buda, then panned d my video moments as stil took preced asa beginner, I would avoid complex story lines; on this trip, simple stories would be the best. Talso decided to take the easy way when it came to sound, I edit out the close-ups, and details—to explain the action and the situation. What I realized was that at the very least, mental storyboard of what I achieve was a good way to start. And inted toPRO-FLASH ONE EIGHTY POWER. SPEED. PORTABILITY. fi Gee ee Se eres Super cootLie 6 RARIDA iINTERFit Expanding your creativity www.interfitphotographic.com InterfitPhotographicA ae SS music that works well with the scene he video. igrims prostrating th Jokinang Temple in Tibet. Te spot was ees near the Potala Palac roman walks along acoridor spinnin ambient sound and lay a soundtrack over they early in the game for me to get into anexternal microphone or an audio, ited video. It was too recorder, I did use two accessorie though. I knew I'd benefit from a viewing loupe (seeing details and checking focus can be a problem when viewing through the camera's LCD), so [purchased a Hoodman 3-ineh screen loupe and the straps needed toattach it to the camera, Talso used my variable neutral density filter to keep the shutter speed at around 1/50 shooting outdoors. Most of the time I shot video using my tripod, though I was often able to hand hold the camera and keep it pretty steady as I walked along for some shots. [also used a trick if second when I w tripod wasn't practical in a specific situation and I needed some extra support: I tied a length of tent cord tothe knob of a quick-release plate, attached the knob to the camera's tripod socket and then put one foot on the dangling cord, essentially clamping the camera to the floor ‘hen, holding the camera very tight to my body, I became the tripod. One of the best things about shooting video with my D-SLR was that all my favorite lenses were at my disposal, and I used the same glass I chose for stills, like the 1mm fisheye and my 14-24mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm zooms. Back home I edited the video footage on my Mac using iMovie, relatively easy, though limited, program. You can see the result of my video efforts at my website, wwv:blaineharrington.com. Scroll down to the “learn more” section and click on the Himalayan Journey link. That video represent: step for me along the learning and creative curve, The future may include ambient sound, some select accessories, and advanced editing (people who really get into video prefer more sophisticated programs, like Final Cut Pro), but for my first time out I followed what Td recommend to anyone thinking of trying out motion pictures in their travels: don't get in over your head or reach too far ona first effort; keep things simple and straightforward; and remember that asa dedicated still, photographer you bring.a lot to the adventure—you know how to deal with light, how to frame and compose, how to work with people From all the movies and TV shows we grew up watching and those we watch today, we get ideas and are familiar with the techniques to express them. We know what a pan is, what a reveal is, what an establishing shot, medium close-up, and close-up sequence look like. In a sense, we've all gone to film school. Pick up a digital camera with video capability, and I think you'll be amazed at what ideas come to you from the memories of video images just as they do stills. m e seen, And ideas driveeo PortraitPro “A very versatile retouching tool for anyone looking to quickly and easily retouch an image to get just the look Money-back x ‘they want.” guarantee if you are not ‘ Steve Bedell’s test report, Shutterbug November 2013 satisfied. THE FASTEST, EASIEST RETOUCHING SOFTWARE Too much airbrushing can lead to unnatural, plastic looking skin. PortraitPro 12 lets photographers get around this problem by adjusting the light on the face to get more natural and flattering results. Now you can always show your subjects in their best light. DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE TRIAL NOW FROM WWW.PORTRAITPROFESSIONAL.COM! EXTRA 10% OFF code ease) Shutterbug readers get an EXTRA 10% DISCOUNT OFF any SALE or LIST PRICE - use the code LN7787 at PortraitProfessional.com.‘OOLS a Leal DIGITAL INNOVATIONS Travel Photograply Tools And Tips py TRAVELING DIGITAL IMAGING STYLE BY.JOE FARACE IE MOST IMPORTANT tip I would lke to share about 7 nent ‘travel photography is never buy a new camera or lens y a " before traveling to Bhutan or even Carhenge. The next happiness is a way most essential travel photography secret is that using ‘your equipment has to be instinctive; when a photo of travel, not a ‘op presents itself you may only have a few seconds to dkstination®™—Rov get ashot. There's no time to think about what menu to use or how to = » turn on continuous AF, or what exposure mode you're in. Using your M. Goodman camera has to be instinctive; you should see—or even anticipate—then lick the shutter. I'll make travel more fun, too. At the WPPI Expo I was talking with Panasonic's Mark Toal and William Innes (www.innesphotography. com), California photographer who shoots weddings with mirrorless cameras, when a portrait appeared on the booths monitors. Itwas a woman with a pink boa and while this was obviously a till photograph, the feathers in the boa ‘were moving, “That's Flixel,” Innes told me and [headed over to their booth to learn more. Here's how it works: You record a brief video clip, with the first frame becoming the base portrait; the other frames become layers, Then you selectively erase the top layer, allowing the other layers to show through to create movement. Flixel lets you add Cour aFse Pts ne other enhancements to the image that when saved can be shared as an animated GIF file, Look at their YouTube video should be a sure-fire hit for high school senior and wedding (http://youtu.be/3-aenQSn_4A) tosee it inaction. Flixel__ photographers but could also make for interesting travel sells for $199.99 and is available from the Mac AppStore. It __ images for your website or blog, PYG ks ‘The first thing you do with travel photos is put them in analbum, right? Our friend in Greece, Panos Efstathiadis, has introduced a new set of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements Actions that emulate the photo slits used in album pages. The actions offer lots of options, allowing both Photoshop pros and the home user to produce attractive displays, The use of vector design produces consistent (and excellent) results no matter the size of | the original image and the use of Smart Filters gives you control over the smallest detail. ‘The actions let you add an extra touch to the final image Court Pnoec SOT su [201FEISOL, USA 3 Pe a dias * _> — rar ‘ aa 76 re =< mn 2 F iP i oy bas. Shaalbbsooebeaaaoel Bech ol New featherweight design now Mae tee Cuca ule esc} be Pre eer ene Pete eu RUN i mo @ Lightest Carbon Fiber toes eee tes Pere ere coerce eee era P Li Dare eae aed oe aa 4 toe pa ao Poet ca roe t 5 eta eta tooo) = Rate OSC Poa more fe) Se VEE nea ee Rc ea) ay A GERMANYgDOLS a Leal DIGITAL INNOVATIONS by changing the border style to, for example, vintage or lace, The free version contains one action for images that have a 4:3 ratio, while the full version ($17.69 at today’s exchange rate) contains 17 actions for images of 4:3 ratio, Zenfolio is a popular site generation tool for photographers and two shooters featured in this month’s Web Profiles column use the service so you can see how itworks in the real world. The company now allows their users to store Raw or even non-image files. The storage feature accepts Raw, PSD, DNG, and NEG with no restrictions when used with Zenfolio’s Unlimited, Premium, and Premium Business plans. Existing users ‘can purchase the option without any additional sign-up. Inaddition to storing Raw files, photographers have the ‘option to sell their Raw travel photographs by simply including the option to download for their account. The first 2GB of Raw files are free: each additional GB of storage costs 8.5 cents per GB per month for US subscribers. Battery Charger For Digital SLRs Another one of my favorite bits of advice for travel is don’t forget to bring extra batteries and especially a charger. In my April 2014 column I mentioned Hihnel’s Extreme Li-Ion Batteries for Professionals that can replace Canon's E8, E9 and Nikon's EL-14, EL-15 OEM batteries, ‘The second part of their one-two punch is the ProCUBE ‘Twin Charger that can simultaneously charge one or two Nikon or Canon batteries, as well as Hihnel’s own Extreme versions. It can also simultaneously charge four 700 mAh AA batteries using the included tray. Depending upon battery model, the ProCUBE will fully charge one or two batteries in one to three hours and four AAs with 2500 mAh capacity in about four hours. The AA. tray also stores batteries when not in use, The ProCUBE ‘ochip-regulated charge controller for each battery and an LCD display that shows the charging status, of both kinds of batteries, The ProCUBE includes a USB port for charging mobile devices, like your smartphone. Cliff Lawson, one of the most innovative photographers. shooting high school senior portraits, told me about My Photo App, a service that lets you create customized apps, allowing customers to show off their portraits. The app can be stored on a customer's smartphone and more 17 for 3:2 ratio, 17 for 1: ratio, 17 for 16:9 ratio, and two special Rhombus a.k.a. diamond style. (In Euclidean geometry, a rhombus isa simple quadrilateral whose four sides all have the same length) Interchangeable adapter plugs for the US, Europe, and the UKare included, as is a 12v DC adapter for on-the-go charging in your vehicle. importantly sent to their friends a.k.a. potential clients. This means your studio gets the exposure of a well-crafted viral ad with the additional cache of a real-time customer testimonial. My Photo App integrates with social media and includes sharingr3 Cea eb ES Roll Alp Hoss The Wor of s gest Me Me acturer of Photographic Backdrops and Props pa 3 s = : 1.800.844.5616 = ae ee& MANUFACTURING The highest quality backdrops and the most affordable prices. f SFC-PK= Pink Ben Shirk An assortment of up to 15 backdrops at REALLY low prices. 1.800.844.5616 www.dennymfg.com TOOLS DIGITAL INNOVATIONS oficonsat the top or bottom of er arene the screen. Built-in analyties let you track how successful your apps are being shared, giving you metries to improve your marketing, Pricing is by subscription so you can try it for a month (625) ora year (6149) and it should pay for itself after your first senior sot ne ee rm —_. asked: what's the place for analog filters in a digital world now that digital filters, plug-ins, and Lightroom presets offer so many choices in postproduction? Other than the obvious need, to me anyway, of protection filters, sometimes because of time constraints you have to deliver SOOC (Straight Out Of the Camera), as all the cool kids say. A good case for this could be made for ‘Neutral Density (ND) filters. Fotodiox (pronounced foto-dee-ox) is a company that doubles down on filters with their line of WonderP: available in both round and square format in ND and graduated ND versions. WonderPana FreeAr isa system of filters tailored to fit super-wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses, including Nikon’s 14-24mm, It has an all-metal core that attaches directly to a lens, allowing you to mount any of the company’s 145mm Slimline Filters. There's even an option for Lee and Cokin XL filters. ‘The WonderPana Freee will hold two graduated ND rectangular filters or one round and one graduated ND rectangular filter, and can rotate 360 degrees. m filters foe Farace invites Shutterbug readers to visit his blogs, including “Saving the World, One Pixel at a Time” (www,joefaraceblogs.com) and "Mirrorless Photo Tips” (www.mirrorlessphototips.com). Check for new how-to posts every day, Monday through Friday. FLIXEL PHOTOS INC: https:/flixel.com ForoDlox: www.wonderpana.com WAHNEL: www.hahnel.ie My PHOTO APP: www.myphotoapp.com PANOSFX: www.panosfx.com ITS. INC. (HAHNELY: www.rtsphoto.com ZENFOLIO: mww.zentolio.comThe Sunpak DigiFlash 3000. The ery capable Sunpak Dialash for DSLR cameras ofersal he pome youneed wth the features profesional nr Nkon DSLR camer, the Dias 3000; perfect fo porta, ros sporting evens and stage peductions And it packs mere ash power than your DSLRS bul fash, so you an capture perfec moments usin longer anos, fo stunning sults. And no ‘more runing out of fash power when you edit TheDigifash 3000s ade wih profesional features such asa bounce and swivel head forthe uate in lighting control and creatity.To customize ash coverage, ts bur manual oom head matches any 18mm 1070 mm DSLRlens And wth alos ight autofocus sis, you wort miss another shot when ati poo Bigon power and high on features the Digiash 3000 delves what you need at fraction of the rice ofa comparable camera fish info conthe Sunpak igilash 3000, ot: sunpak om /DF3000 PeneudNikon D4S ( LAB TEST RESULTS & COMMENTS: STILL & VIDEO } HE NIKON D4Sis a professional SLR system for sports and action photography. It has a full sensor (36x23,9mm) that Nikon calls the “FX’ format, In combination with the new EXPEED 4 image processing system, the new sensor offers an extended ISO speed range: the “native” range is between ISO 100 and high mode equi noise results are impressive in the native ISO range, while in 150 102,400 and ISO 204,800 show nearly the same noise artifacts as APS-C cameras in the 180 12,800 to ISO 25,600 range "The camera offers 16MP resolution and delivers very sharp images: see the details in our ‘Sharpness” comments on page 40. Itoffers alot of individual settings and additional functions. ‘The image styles are widely configurable; indeed, every funetion and button seems to be configurable as witnessed by the nearly 50 pages of the dedicated to settings in the While the camera interval shooting, multiple exposure shots, and more, perhaps anual lows the most important aspect of the new camera isits speed. The D4S allows the user to take up to frames per second (fps) with the 5,600, with an additional lent of 1S 409,600 (!). The ages with activated AF system in continuous shooting mode. In our tests, the D4$ achieved this speed with ease, In JPEG mode and using a fast storage card, the image burst isn't restricted—we shot a series with up to 100 images without any problems. The camera worked well with the very fast XQD cards and with CF cards, Lower burst rate settings in continuous are available and, of course, are configurable in the image menu. The image modes Gingle shot, continuous mode, self-timer, and more) are chosen with the small ring below the function buttons on the upper left We took test series with very fast-moving objects (cars on the street), which the Nikon D4S kept perfectly in focus. The focus system uses 51 AF sensors (4S cross-type sensors) and is also highly configurable. It Numerous interfaces a lefthand side of th mere of HOM! for image transt e/vdeo presentation. thas Ethernet port (I-45) and external micro WLAN adapt The Nil m " rit 82 inches settings and for preview fo he smal status LCD near the boom allows for dir eof $0 and te bal 5Lighting is Freedom and Independence Meme ne ue RU Ci One oar umes aed Pee tea eee ea ag OT eae keg eter POE koe ania eee ke en ka ae ne Rare) successful brilliant shots. Giron Ce Meecha rece g eee une ene Cr Lighting Changes Everything. Cee eu eM RU eterna service rating and the most comprehensive product line in the Paes Te ecu ah ceLeft: Gray nuances ar sifted a bit into the bluish area and the lightest gray fern tends into the green and yellowish ares. The colors are abit oversaturated (1068 percent. Center: Fine detail inthe test box st iook. Hard contrast ines have a ite “overshot” effect and {avery crisp look. lue elements show avery high saturation. Right: The automatic white balance system ofthe Nikon D4S shows a shit of bright gray or ite areas ito the greenish area, Darker colors are reproduced with a slighty bluish ook. The skin tone inthe portrait shot is The red of he Fsirt i abit oversatura showed a perfect performance even in this button/dial set for shots in the top shows all important image low-light conditions, portrait mode (camera turned by parameters; 2) the black-and-white ‘The camera has alot of function _90 degrees) on the lower right of. LCD screen on the back allows users buttons, dials, joysticks, and more. _the body. In addition, it offers two _to change image parameters like Asa professional system it offers joysticks (one for landscape shots, ISO or WB quickly without using the two setup dials (one nearthe shutter one for portrait shots) ‘menu; and 8) the color LCD on the release button, one on the back) The camera has three LCD back. This color screen is very large and has an additional version of screens: I) thelargestatusLCDon (3.2 inches/Sem) and has.a 3:2 aspect NC .9 Daa AC et Connecticuuca, 7 / Brellabox and background Phote 4 Riverside Drive, Suite C, Ansonia, CT 06401, USA. Tol: +1-203-7362224/ Fax: +1-203-7362228 www-photekusa.com Sel su [201ratio, which allows users to see the taken image without black borders on the top or bottom. The screen is fixed, Nikon's decision to offer an absolutely robust and massive camera, based ‘on magnesium alloy, is the reason for the missing swivel mechanism, In addition, the body is well protected against dust, humidity, and rain, COMMENTS ON STILL IMAGE QUALITY Color: The camera reproduced the test box shot with neutral and realistic looking colors, albeit with a somewhat cooler look. These colors are a confirmation of the results of the test chart image: gray nuances are shifted abit into the bluish area and the lightest gray and white pattern tends into the green and yellowish areas. ‘The colors are a bit oversaturated (106.8 percent), but basically this high average saturation isa consequence of the very highly saturated blue colors, which have a very high magenta rate, ‘The boosted blue nuances are visible inour standard test box shot (blue spool in the upper right or blue naturally. The delicate gradients in pattern of the Kodak chart) Skin tones are reproduced very skin areas are shown without banding effects or color shifts (hift of darker © omen oy > : s fomve. We > f . ® ee git J . * Sama] ome] ' re ine: us ke in stl photos nces at highly satu Usaortice ‘echrom Lighting Ine Tiltall Professional Tripod/ Ball Head/ 118545, Alameda St Lynwood, A 90262, USA Fax: 1-310-8780281 Emaii:info@titallusa.com i sttallusa.com1 Full HO video capabilities (a lot of manual stings, frame rates) CON ‘= Missing WLAN function (external WLAN system availabe) = Missing GPS system (external GPS system availabe) '= Missing swivel monitor (would be helpful especialy for video func Give your lenses multiple lives. Novoflex adapts almost any lens to almost any camera. Se 4a ele eet i heater ae cera volve, 600/7364973 hpmaketngcom con PRO sm Very fast SLR system 1 Fast and reliable AF system, works fine even in high-speed continuous mode 1 High-quality images due to high resolution ‘and realistic color reproduction 1 Many setup dials, function button, Additonal shutter release button (or portrait Shots) that allow professional handling and peraton ofthe camera skin areas into greenish nuances, for example) Sharpness: The resolution results of the Nikon D4S are excellent. The resolution of 3280 lines per picture height given by the image sensor is transferred into images with a ‘maximum of 3258 lines per picture height. In part, this is a result of an intense sharpness filtering which seems to be a little higher than in some other Nikon D-SLRs and causes clipping effect on hard contrast lines, This effect isn't visible in real-life images like the portrait shot but can be seen in some elements of the test box shot, Nevertheless, details and fine structures in these images look very crisp, but still natural Noise: The noise results of the Nikon Dd$ are excellent. The camera shows nearly no luminance noise artifacts (y-factor is way below 10 percent in ISO speed settings up to 12,800 and exactly crosses the 10 percent line at ISO 25,600). The images have a very clean and silky-smooth look, The color noise is filtered by the EXPEED 4 image processor, which creates images with the look of analog film grain (ISO 12,800 and ISO 25,600), That's little surprising because the result charts show wide differences between the RGB graphs in “Pixel noise," especially in low ISO speed settings (which normally is a hint about higher color noise effects) The new Nikon D4S also showed ‘a good performance in the dynamic e tests, It achieved a maximum, of 11.6f/stops at ISO 100 and keeps high level of more than 10 {/stops in higher speed settings. Using different picture styles with a more flattened gamma curve (or using Raw mode with a flattened gamma setting) somewhat higher results can be achieved. COMMENTS ON VIDEO FUNCTIONS The camera is able to record Full HD video with 1920x1080 pixels. It offers a lot of different frame rates with a maximum of 60 progressive frames per second, Just like in photo mode itallows the user to shoot a cropped version (DX format) of videos, which canbe helpful in terms of “adding” focallength to mounted FX lenses, Besides high frame rates it offers all standard frame rates for NTSC and PAL videos (29.97 fps, 25 fps, 24p mode for Blu-ray compatible Videos, etc.). The D4S uses the Apple QuickTime MOV file format with H.264/MP4 compression to record its movies in a standard format which is compatible with nearly all player and editing software The camera allows for use of manual exposure settings in video mode, with ISO speed settings allowed up to 1S0 25,600, Aperture and shutter speed can be set up by the videographer. For sound recording it offers a built-in mono microphone Nikon offers an additional stereo microphone as an option, Due to the 8.5mm standard jack, many other microphones with a 3.5mm interface cable can be used. A second 3.5mm jack: direct sound control. This is very helpful because the camera allows for ual set up of the sound recording level. The camera off sound control with its “frequency response up to “wide range” or “vocal range” and yields better sound quality in interview sessions. additional function. Itcan be set COMMENTS ON VIDEO QUALITY the video quality isvery good. The Nikon D4S reproduced the IS012.233 chart with 628 lines per picture height (1080p mode), whieh isa good result, ‘The videos looksmooth and natural, although hard contrast lines are ‘overemphasized, which may cause some problems. To prevent this effect the user ‘ean optimize the video look in the “Set Picture Control” menu. Nevertheless, movies taken with the Nikon D4S are nearly free of moiré effects. The colors in the D4$ videos are fine: just like instill photos the blue nuances are highly saturated, but all other colors look very natural. The noise results in videos are very good, ‘The camera showed very smooth and lean images: the luminance noise results are on an extremely low level— below 0.3 percent up to ISO 3200. ‘The Nikon D4S (body only) has alist price of $6499.95, For more information, please visit www:nikonusa.com. a Ee SSS Tlie 1K The leader of trip io fee Narn) cn) feature list ofthe best ballhead. Incredible as reece) Caen Pee) yy Prema) pes to Grandscapes! The Palouse is calling epg eso) please call or visit CU ek COLIC) Ree nesteTOOLS TEST REPORT Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD A LONG-RANGE TELE-ZOOM WITH VIBRATION COMPENSATION es BY GEORG! 'SCHAUB EING IN GENERAL a wide to moderate tele-zoom kind of guy, Ihave found myself occasionally frustrated by lacking a long zoom or tele prime when shooting in the great outdoors. There are some scenes and places that ‘cry out for a longer focal length, and it’s not from laziness but more accessibility that creates the need. Yes, you can, ‘zoom with your feet,” as the expression goes, but not when looking down long valleys from the cliffs above ‘or when you want to get the kind of stacking and compression effects t onlyalonglens can supply, at least without some kind of severe frame crop. So, when I got a chance to test out the Tamron 150-600mm lens I jumped at the chance, especially since it coincided with a planned trip to New Mexico, LENS SPECS First, though, some specs. The lens is built for “full-frame” D-SLRs, thus those with APS-C sensor cameras will have an effective 225-900mm in hand. It measures 10.5 inches at the 150mm, focal length and goes to 13.5 inches at the 600mm length; add another 4 inches when the supplied lens hood. is attached. It comes with a tripod collar, useful for taking the weight off the camera body when mounted and shooting at the longer lengths. But it ed lens (VC in ‘Tamron parlance, in Canon and Nikon mounts, not in Sony A mount) so the extra three stops it affords makes hand holding feasible, as borne out in my tests. (Note: Be sure to turn VC off when a tripod is mounted) Tamron claims four-stop advantage because of the triaxial VC design; I keep it ‘safe" at three. The maximum aperture drops tof/6.3 when you zoom out with a minimum aperture of /32 to f/40 at the2 VANGUARD Sedona Series Camera Bags Inspired by the outdoors, the Sedona Series is made from durable, weather resistant materials. Its customizable interior offers the perfect fit for any setup. A large quick access enables fast, secure removal of your gear. These bags also boast a tripod or monopod/walking stick holding system along with a stowed rain cover, providing quick protection should the weather turn foul. Sedona comes equipped with two lower front straps to hold larger accessories such as sleeping bags or jackets. With additional features like a hydration-ready holding system and built-in lifesaving emergency whistle, the Sedona Series is the perfect bag for any outdoor enthusiast. eo availableat | aMTOOLS TEST REPORT longer lengths. Ifshooting at those narrow apertures you probably need a tripod unless shooting ina cloudless, full sun desert, or will have to jump the ISO. The minimum focusing distance isabout 9 feet, and although that sounds like lot you ‘ean get some rather amazing bokeh, i effects by shooting “close-ups” at the camera and lens COMPLETE CASE SOLUTIONS ISD and out. 3i-13096SLRI Watertight Injection Molded Case Fits most popular DSLK bodies with lens attached Removable foam block allows fora shorter lens (a'yOmm) or longer lens (70-100mm) to stay Ssttached to the camera Adjustable foam rings can fithtvarety of lenses Accessories compartment Lifetime Warranty ADE TN) 3i-20117SLR2 Watertight Injection Molded Case Wheels and a pull out handle ‘Can hold up to two camera bodies with 34y0mim and 70 200mm lens attached Removable foam blocks accommodates ‘Camera bodies w/or without batterythat distance with a midal for this glass~95mm~so buying wide aperture, thanks in part to polarizer or ND @lthough an the nine-bladed circular diaphragm. does not seem necessary with that Filter size is what you might expect ricey situation, The lens sin at about 68 oz, which might seem like a lot but is actually narrow a minimum aperture) ean quite “carry-able” when attached i> tae m Teme A [2 VISOR ‘Thinnest & Lightest Filters In The World Reduce Reflections Increase Density Reduce Light Up To 8 Stops Emphasize Details fo Color Cast ‘The Light SolutionFor Heavy Geat! Fine Photo Retailers Near You! To Locate a Dealer, Go'To EVERCLEAR 5: egabrandess.com oni ‘Wer Repent] An | i rR Ba alg ereTOOLS = TEST REPORT re i and roaming around for shots. of some vignetting at the (widest) aperture at the shorter focal lengths, FIELD TESTS with a bit more marked vignetting as 1 My first round of tests was tocheck progressed through the focal lengths. for vignettingat various apertures at widest apertures, but nothing that and focal lengths. It'spractical rather __wasn’teasily adjustable using an Adobe than scientific, being shots ofa neutral Camera Raw custom lens profile sunlit wall with the lens defocused. As I then had fun with the lens in the GRASLON* PRODIGY™ FLASH DIFFUSER WITH IBT™ MIRROR SYSTEM Da cae Un end Cee net anos CTC NC ea Se N es e Poe es Eee A ner Onuty rier nscicur sd the light from the flash before Pineau Roeser anot SPC n aah tees as htexpect, there wasevidence field, I took few day trips from my SRS em onc Pee one ceilings for bounce and will consistently have great lighting, etait PS Ree) CEeniseesers [EaeE TSR BCT eS Pate kan nie a ea ae Find Graslon at these retailers and others: Cee ee cone ene eee ea Caco ML LS ec a (o ia | Direct Flash Only _Graslon Prodigy Diffuser ORICON oR SALT SAIC RCN et base in Taos to the Taos Ski Valley and the Chama River Valley, home of Plaza Blanca, Ghost Ranch, and more exciting vistas. I shot mostly hand held with my Canon full-framer, although Thad my Manfrotto 190XPROB carbon-iber tripod along and used that occasionally as well. See the accompanying images and captions for details and comments. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Tmust admit that part of my excitement of working with the lens was the fact that rarely do field shoots with more than a 150mm focal length, and having the Tamron 150-600mm Jens in an area with great landscape potential was great visual fun, I kept VC ‘on for most o ona tripod) and was able to get steady shots even at the longest focal length by ensuring that I kept within the 1/focal length rule with VC effects taken into account. The sharpest images were in the 150-500mm range althou a low-pass filter: according to Dx0 tests shots (except those h Ido not have a camera without this can make difference at the longest focal length, as does stoppi middling apertures. downto, For handheld shooting I used a ‘crooked arm" steadying stance, 8 sticking your elbow out fhe camera at the center and resting! ofthe “V" of the extended elbow. I would not su composing with this lens for obvious reasons, The most interesting aspect of working with this focal length range is the amazing compositional freedom it affords, which allows for overall and then isolation of detail shooting.OMark tests) WY) CAMERA 4 mo SINCE 1971 America’s Premier Leica Specialist 300 W. SUPERIOR ST. CHICAGO. 800 289-5342 TAMARKIN.COMMetalPrints Stunning Prints on AluminumQuality. Service. Innovation. We're here for you! 1oY= 1] ©) Ae] (e raatrOOLS TEST REPORT HDR Expose 3 From Unified Color Technologies IS HANDHELD HDR READY FOR PRIME TIME? BY JACK NEUBART HEGOAL IN HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging is torecapture the full tonal range that you saw in the scene, despite dynamie range limitations of the camera sensor. Previously, HDR technique generally involved use of a tripod: now, while it is still advisable itmay become an option, It also required a statie scene totally devoid of movement. Any movement resulted. in misalignment and ghosting, or secondary images, caused by a shift in ‘camera position or of moving objects from frame to frame. With HDR Expose 3, the rules may have begun to change, but one thi that is certain is that the workflow has been greatly simplified, When employing their autor the HDR Merge dialog you to choose whethe static or not static, “Not sta the scene involves a handheld camera orsubject movement, or both. You then select a “key” frame. The key frame becomes the center of your HDR universe ‘The essential reason for selecting the key frame is to prevent or greatly eliminate ghosting. HDR Expose 3 will s you can override that choice. I may ‘choose an underexposed image as the key frame, because this often tackles movement and deters ghosting more successfully The premise is that when I might be shooting for HDR I can leave the tripod at home. And even ited process, | made t st/3e : ‘indow asks ightroom.| then expor nto Ht th heseeneis ct this frame for you, but ea tripod, I could la ard subject movement, Beyond agape at) Sea) that, I could also return to oldNo power? No problem! ION Portable Power ied Studio Lights a IP E “CTL Piao R oe | | | eat Pee RT PhotogenicION... ; MnO) Cat TANS) PHOTOGENIC® (800) 682.7668 e photogenic.comTEST REPORT he HOR Expose 3calog wind pens, make sure "Merge Static Photos” is or handheld shots and merges in ou hig u xe ame 0 e he interace then opens and offers ua number of presets" or imag tions and looks, pls the “default” the Optimal reset as my default, but this sulted in very observable shad ping So adjusted some of th rameters onthe right side of the and created a custom Preset bracketed files that were shot hand held, and merge these to HDR, which is something I've been doing of late. How well does this premise hold up? CONCLUSIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS. spent considerable time exploring HDR Expose 3's new Adaptive ‘Tone Mapping, “de-ghosting,” and alignment algorithms. The app delivered, although not always with resounding results, The HDR process did introduce or intensify digital noise ‘onoccasion, most noticeably in areas hoon Jak Nee ‘of deep shadow and when you select (nce you lke the look and ater you have nuanced through the controls click OK (lower right. Yo an underexposed image as the key select TIFF or JPEG export, along wth th tive BEF format. n ths scene, the HOR frame, However, Unified Color points merge opened shadow detail without sacri i 3 dealin the wispy clouds. ‘out that less noise will be produced by applied lens corrections (astortion, chromatic aberration vignetting tothe HOR htroom. selecting the “Merge Static Photos’ ‘option, which would only apply toa tripod-mounted camera combined witha lack of subject movement. Granted, HDR Expose 3 also provides noise removal tools. However, they ‘work best at modest settings, when used in conjunction with those available in Lightroom, ‘The process did not leave me entirely satisfied. The images often turned out flat and lifeless, or taken to another extreme, grungy. Yes, Iwas impressed by the program's ability to produce HDR merges in spite of camera or subject movement yecially when the camera was hand held. I fully appreciated HDR Expose 3's White Balance tool, which I found more satisfying than the one in Lightroom. The Dodge/Burn tool andesHow To Optimize Handheld HDR With HDR Expose 3 1. Shoot steady. Employ proper camera handling procedures-stand firm, left hand supporting lens, gentle shutter release, relax-and use image stablization features if available. 2. Use Raw files. Exporting files that you first converted to JPEG or TIFF in Lightroom may result in tonal distortions. 3. Capture the full tonal depth. You can successfully create an HDR merge with as few as two or three bracketed exposures. I've ‘also used spot metering to shoot highlight: and shadow-biased exposures for merges ‘4, Shoot tightly spaced frames. Minimize misalignment and ghosting by shooting fewer bracketed frames atthe fastest available shutter speeds, and set drive speeds at the maximum when auto-bracketing 5, Bracket shutter speeds. Lock int/stop, ISO, focal length, and focus 6. Shoot at low ISO settings. The HDR process for non-static merges may introduce or increase digital noise 7. Overcome ghosting. If ghosting results when the metered or default exposure is selected as the key frame, select an Underexposed image as the key frame. If all else fails, you may have to align the frames manually (HDR Expose 3 offers this ‘option, but it can prove frustrating). 8. Finishing touches. Use Lightroom (or Photoshop) to apply finishing touches, including additional noise removal, sharpening, ‘and targeted adjustments. ‘For this handhel frst took nt scene of a dings with aSekonic meter of important noth fi sel se eg oun 6 hen merged the a Ss Aiea ie etien tees forthe ighigts tS 100, ran foo avg aa wale nage ra —_ arle in the surrounding incandescent ile the merged file (C) shows negligible lining and brings the values nicely togethe here's an unmistakable HOR look about i Bringing you great brands (800/735-4373 hpmarketingcorp.comDOLS TEST REPORT also is commendable for limiting the extent that it can be applied, no matter how often you paint over the same area, ensuring that you do not get overly grayed out highlights or mistakenly get too open, noisy shadows. And once Iereated my em own custom Presets, the HDR merge resulting images, I'm left wanting, more. What I'd like to see in the end are handheld HDR merges that capture the full vitality of the scene as envisioned it at the moment of capture. This program may well be a good step in that direction, and if you can accept some HDR bias in the final result and are willing to tweak results in Lightroom or Photoshop, you might be quite satisfied that handheld HDR isbecominga reality. process became practically effortless for similar situations However, looking back over the ee rere ree regis ‘SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS, OS: Mac OS 10.6 and above, pry Oar) ker For more controled spread of light, we offer a 15° gid ($99.95) and 30° grid ($69.95) for both 22:inch reflectors. We additionally offer the Baby Boomer™ offset mounting arm ($14.95) for increased flexibly in angle adjustments 82- or 64-bit Windows (Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8); CPU: Dual-core, 2.0GHz minimum; quad-core, 2.8GHz recommended; RAM: 2GB minimum, 4GB recommended; Video RAM: 128MB. minimum recommended. Note: For this test I used HDR Expose 8s a plug-in with Lightroom 5. It's also available as a plug-in for Aperture and as.a stand-alone HDR Expose 3 costs $119, For more information, visit Unified Color Technologies at wwwanifiedcolorcom. a his scene are evident: the full iluminated and “hot” on one side (A), dark onthe other (8). Then there were all windows in the background that | ha deal with, so they couldn't burnout. My solution et two exposures at +/- 067 EV with ed Canon ile the final (C) 0ks good one more step was needed: toned ow y bright foreground the st ef, and the Burn too. |further add x0 Optics Pro.WIRELESSLY CONTROL HYPER® iUSBportC AMERA? Next Generation Wireless DSLR Camera Tether for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac & PC ‘ VIDEORECORDING = + MEDIASTREAMER Available at ll fine camera stores and | HyperShop.comTEST REPORT onOne Perfect = [ Photo Suite 8 STAND-ALONE OR PLUG-IN, POWERFUL TOOLS FOR IMAGE ENHANCEMENT AND CORRECTION BY HOWARD MILLARD ETHER YOU NEED to, add special effects and edges, perfect a portrait, enlarge a small file for abigprint, erase an unsightly sign, pump up detail, add lens blur, or simply make basic color and tonal correetions ‘quickly, Perfect Photo Suite 8 (PPSS) from onOne Software has an incredible number of tricks up its sleeve. What's more, it works asa stand-alone with layers and masks if you seek these more advanced options. With eight modules ‘and hundreds of one-click presets, the tools in PPS8 for ‘automated and manual enhancements help you to correct, stylize, and retouch images in a layered workflow. PPS8 is available in versions to work with Adobe's Photoshop, Elements, and Lightroom on both Mac and Windows, as well as Apple's Aperture, and requires 8GB of RAM. In this overview I'll highlight the new features added in Version 8, while the sidebar will give you a sampling of everything else PPS8 has to offer. BROWSE, THEN EDIT Using Perfect Photo Suite 8 as a stand-alone, or if you simply want the convenience and speed of doing everything within one program, you start with the new Browse module (1). Use Browse to view and select the images you ‘want to work with, whether they are on your desktop, external drive, a network, or in the cloud via a service like Dropbox or Google Drive Preview your images side by side in a thumbnail grid or arge detailed view, Both views display key metadata at the upper left. Below the metadata are Sources and Folders, where you can create favorites to quickly access your current crop of most used images, Further, speedy navigation is available via keyboard shortcuts, and you can create a selection of images here for batch processing, ‘When you first select an image in Browse, you are asked ifyou want to edit the original ora copy—I usually choose to work on a copy. PPS8 wil also put the in yer Further, your file format options are JPEG or TIFF without layer support, or Photoshop with layers. Finally, you choose the color space, the bit depth, and the resolution, PERFECT ENHANCE. Next, for basic corrections and enhancements, go to the new Perfect Enhance module (2) for automatie and ‘manual controls to enhance color and vibrancy, fine-tune brightness and contrast, or correct color balance. There are also tools to remove distracting objects, improve detail, add sharpening, and perform spot healing and redeye removal, You can also add a vignette asa finishing touch, if desired, ‘Tools found at the upper left below the Crop tool are the Perfect Eraser to remove medium and large objects, the Perfect Brush to delete small offenders like dust spots and skin blemishes, and the Red-Eye tool. Inthe right-hand column, inder the Quick Fixes bar atthe top, are Auto Levels and Auto Color buttons. Below them lie icons for Brightness, Contrast, Vibrance, [color] Temperature, Detail, and Vignette, The ideais to elick on these once for a quick adjustment, but each has plus and minus controls where each click augments the adjustment by 10 units. Finally, at the bottom you'll see Vignette and Sharpening options. You cana) Seen] re ee) ee) 59-9920 59-9912 59-9901 59-9946 Find Local & Online Savage Dealers at SavageUniversal.comOLS TEST REPORT eee ery em zo ak Dt Os -@:- oad Sed eco Poe undo with © module to preserve the stages of your workflow. Also, there isa full-screen mode, which hides the panels. For example, my Rock-Ola jukebox shot was rather dull and lifeless as a result of bland lighting, In Enhance, 1 first cropped it to remove the elutter at the sides. Next, I used the Quick Fixes (#9), working with Auto Levels toadd detail and some color. Next, I clicked on the plus side of the Vibrance icon three times to add further richness (this equals an adjustment of 30 using the Vibrance slider). Two more clicks on the Detail plus icon helped image definition. Below the Quick Fixes, the 1-2, or use the Layers Merete ie Pn panel for Color & Tone Adjustments (#4) offers more options with 10 sliders for more precise including shadows, which I opened up for the Rock-Ola, highlights, white and black levels, and temperature, tint and vibranee. Sharpeningis the bottommost panel in the Enhance module (#5). Options here include icons for print or screen viewing, or to fix focus. Advanced options include more choices for type of sharpening, such as for prints on matte or glossy paper, amount, and protect darks, lights, or skin from sharpening, I then used the Vignette panel (0), selecting the “Strong” icon at the top of the panel, then the preset “Edges jjustments, to black,” the effect I wanted, At the lower left of the panel you'll see an icon with a square. Click on this and then click within your photo to set the center of the vignette effect. I had todo this several times to get the right placement to keep the vignette from cutting into the top of the jukebox, since my original composition left very little space at the top of the record machine. In an earlier step for the jukebox, I removed distracting elements behind the music machine with the Clone Stamp tool in the Layers module. After performing Auto Levels, adding Vib ing the image with a black vignette, my jukebox has come back to life (7) all within the Enhance module. You can now hear the music pulsing. djusting the sliders for PERFECT ERASER PSS has your back—and middle- and foreground. The new Perfect Eraser uses content-aware fill technology to aid you in cleaning up allareas of your image. It's available in both the Perfect Enhance and Li unwanted objects such as power lines and trash cans and ite automatically reconstructs the empty area by fillingit with the content that surrounded the erased object. You activate the Perfect Eraser in vers modules. Just brush over the ses them, thenceo M UT Ltt (Ug G Promediacear* Lengths Available: 24, 36, or 48 inches See ee ee ey Accessorize if you wish, oF bring into play with the builtin leg support. Cera tenet attend CCRC UT LT aC UO Cue i a Eee cabo i Parcs feo (hes Oem Geo aie Mraces eT Oe ae eae ee eee)OLS TEST REPORT the Enhance module 8) by selecting it from the Tool Well below the Crop tool. Then, paint over thearea you wish toremove (/?9),making sure you cover the entire zone. A.red overlay appears where you paint until you release the mouse button. Then the content-aware fill performs its magic in seconds. Brush size can be adjusted via the Tool Options bar or the bracket keys. Ifthe first attempt does not give you a perfect result, just paint over it ‘again and the effect should improve with each pass. You can also fine-tune the area by using the Retouch Brush after using the Perfect Brush. After painting over the distracting small flower to the left with the Perfect Eraser, it quickly disappears into the green foliage. To take this hibiscus image to the next level, in Enhance after using the Perfect Eraser, I clicked on the arrow to the right of the Save & Close button at the lower right to bring up a pop-up menu and chose, “Apply, then edit in Effects.” This took the cleaned up flower to the Perfect Effects module where I chose the Glow category, then “Charge more - normal muted.” The result (10) looks almost hand-painted with muted colors that make the hibiscus stand out dramatically, but softly. While we're on the subject of making things disappear, the Masking and seamlessly Ifyouare unhappy with shots Bug has been i more intuitive. As a result, mask apply with one click. Then, the Filter creation in the Effects and Layers Options panel allows you to fine-tune modules is now easier and faster each effect to your persona POWER EFFECTS taken on overcast or bad w ‘The flagship of the Perfect Photo days, try the new Suite is the special effects module, injects and the new Perfect Effects has colors, Because I shot an ov twice as many filters as the pre version, Further, Effeets hi re-engineered to add adjust that allow you to customize every buildings. So I opened it in the Bi look. Each of the 23 filters comes with module (1). Inthe left-hand panel, multiple built-in presets—some have alist of all the filter categories proved to make it ‘more than 20 presets—that you can ome warmth and punch up the ious Florence, Italy, on an overcast day, it been looked rather drab, lacking in color and blefilters contrast, especially the background displayed, so I chose the Sunshine filter. Clicking the arrow to the left of the filter name opens a column of thumbnail previews of different looks (presets) within Sunshine. Then, in the panel to the right of the center preview window, Iwent to the Filter Options to fine-tune the effect (12). pushed the Warmth slider up to 49 and the Saturation to 39 to create aneven brighter and warmer look throughout. After this adjustment, even the buildings in the background now look as if they are sunlit (19) Finally, to make the image stand out,