We also have some tips for great holiday shots on page 30 and plenty of creative projects to get stuck into, including light painting on page 36, creating a time-lapse journal on page 38, and faking an infrared effect on page 66. We hope you enjoy learning some new skills to help you shoot, edit and share, and don’t forget to get outside with your camera!
Great photos in a weekend Easy steps to better pictures Top portrait tips ✔ Master natural lighting ✔ Pick the right modes ✔ Perfect compositions www.photoforbeginners.com Essential guides for Great shots with any camera No. 1 for beginners S CREATIVE PROJECTS ✔ Fake infrared ✔ Fun still life ✔ Light painting ✔ Time lapse 10 KEY SETTINGS FOR AMAZING SHOTS Essential features explained P A Find us on… and share your shots! Cameraphone | iPad | DSLR | CSC | Compa M LATEST TECH Touch screen kit gets put to the ultimate test MACRO EDITING Small tweaks for a big impact on close-ups HOLIDAY SHOTS Practical tips for your best ever travel snaps Great photos in a weekend Great photos in a weekend Great photos Easy steps to better pictures Top portrait tips Easy steps to better pictures Top portrait tips Easy steps to better pictures Master natural lighting Pick the right modes Master natural lighting Pick the right modes Master natural lighting Perfect compositions Pick the right modes Perfect compositions Pick the right modes Great photos in a weekend Great photos in a weekend Great photos Easy steps to better pictures Top portrait tips Easy steps to better pictures Top portrait tips Easy steps to better pictures Master natural lighting Pick the right modes Perfect compositions Pick the right modes Perfect compositions Pick the right modes CREATIVE PROJECTS Cameraphone | iPad | DSLR | CSC | Compa Cameraphone | iPad | DSLR | CSC | Compa ISSUE 028 Focal length: 270mm Exposure: F/6.3, 1/640 sec, ISO 250 Focal length: 18mm Exposure: F/4.0, 1/2000 sec, ISO 250 www.tamron.co.uk 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD One lens for every moment This Tamron Megazoom-Lens is an unbeatable combination of exibility and performance. Thanks to the 15x zoom the right focal length for every situation is available anytime. The VC image stabilization and fast, almost silent PZD autofocus completes the package. The low weight and compactness of this lens leaves even enough room in your travel bag for souvenirs. Available for your digital APS-C SLR from Canon, Nikon or Sony *. * The Sony mount does not include the VC image stabilizer. www.facebook.com/TamronUK Improve your skills with Photography for Beginners Meet the team… Annabelle Sing Photoshop expert Annabelle designs the mag and provides you with editing advice to enhance your shots Jo Stass Our staff writer Jo is on hand to give you the best tips and shooting tricks to improve your images Alicea Francis Alicea is our sub editor, and makes sure that all of our tutorials are clear and really easy to follow For more great photo tips, head to photoforbeginners.com Get in touch with us… Ask questions, leave feedback on the magazine or share your shots via the following social sites… For more great photo tips, head to photoforbeginners.com @PFBMag PFBMag PFB Magazine pfbteam@imagine-publishing.co.uk photoforbeginners.com We all love taking photos of friends and family – it’s one of the reasons why a lot of us get started with photography in the fi rst place. But our cameras are often full of dull shots of people sat on the sofa or against a plain wall, so this issue we’re encouraging you to get outside and shoot some portraits on location. Turn to page 22, where we teach you about using natural light, interacting with your location, composition and more. We also have some tips for great holiday shots on page 30 and plenty of creative projects to get stuck into, including light painting on page 36, creating a time-lapse journal on page 38, and faking an infrared effect on page 66. We hope you enjoy learning some new skills to help you shoot, edit and share, and don’t forget to get outside with your camera! Amy Squibb Editor Follow us at @PFBMag Adam Smith Writer Adam from Advanced Photoshop magazine is here to help you manipulate your photos with ease Improve your skills with Improve your skills with Photography for Beginners Photography for Beginners Meet the team… We all love taking photos of friends and family – it’s one of We all love taking photos of friends and family – it’s one of the reasons why a lot of us get started with photography in the reasons why a lot of us get started with photography in Welcome! Photography for Beginners 3 WELCOME Issue 28 AUTO Contents Issue 28 CAMERA SCHOO CAMERA SCHOO ● Get to know your camera ● Key settings explained ● Why does noise appear? Learn how to use your camera and take your best photos ever! Shutter speed: The time your shutter is open for, in seconds Compact system camera: Good image quality, lightweight Cameraphone: Smartphones that are always with you Compact: Small, low-cost and easy- to-use cameras 22 Find out how to use natural light, compose and more for fantastic portraits on location Outdoor portraits PRACTICAL STARTER SECTION! P50 BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO… 44 Get creative with fl ower photos in fi ve easy-to-follow steps Fun still life CREATIVE PROJECTS… Paint with light on p36 Create a time lapse on p38 Fake infrared on p66 76 Aperture: The depth of field of an image, as an f-number 4 Photography for Beginners Discover the right modes for great shots ESSENTIALS 06 Your photos A showcase of photos sent in by PFB readers for you to be inspired by 10 Readers’ challenge Win some slideshow software by getting involved in our monthly shooting challenge 12 How to share your photos Discover the best ways to share your photographs with the PFB team 13 Win a camera! Enter to be in with a chance of winning Samsung’s WB250F compact camera 14 Need to know Pentax release a new DSLR and you could win an evening with David Attenborough! 18 Ask the team Your questions answered and problems solved by our panel of photo experts 46 10 inspirational images Learn from these amazing wildlife images and get some ideas for your own shots 49 Win a 2-day photo course! Improve your skills on a black-and-white landscape course by entering now 74 Subscribe! Save money on your copy of Photography for Beginners with our exclusive offer 84 Upgrade Canon’s any-way-up PowerShot N, the Olympus PEN Mini E-PM2 & more on test 96 Accessory reviews We show you some great solutions for backing up your shots 98 The great photo hunt Win a fantastic forex print by sending us your sunset shots! Your quick-start guide to all the icons you’ll see in Photography for Beginners What the icons mean… DSLR: Usually more expensive, but good image quality Create a gallery Showcase your shots in style SUBSCRIBE TO 74 Get money off issues! Contents Issue 01 HANDS-ON PROJECTS INSIDE Get money off issues! SHOOT 22 Beginner’s guide to… Outdoor portraits Key tips for shooting on location 30 Your best holiday photos Tricks to capturing great memories 36 Light painting tricks How to get creative with light 38 Shoot, edit & share a time-lapse journal Document change on your device 42 The story behind a shot How this landscape was captured 44 Take creative fl ower shots A fun still-life project to try at home 48 Add drama to landscapes Make your vistas really stand out 52 Master key settings The settings beginners often overlook 56 Why can shots be noisy? The implications of ISO explained 58 Using LED lighting How to use LEDs for great effects EDIT 60 Tips to improve close-ups Adjust exposure, sharpen and more 64 Increase contrast Add more range to make shots pop 66 How to fake infrared An easy effect for arty images 68 Ideas for creative editing Make some fun images in no time 70 Convert to black and white Make rich and deep monochromes 72 Edit shots on the go Use Pixlr Express to tweak your shots SHARE 76 Create a stylish gallery Use Whip to share from your tablet 78 Print at unusual sizes Use OddPrints.com for unique sizes 80 Share from a camera Tips for getting connected 82 Use Pages to create a photo postcard A great way to display snaps 30 Your best ever holiday shots 30 holiday shots Use our tips to take amazing landscape, architecture and people shots while on your travels Share your shots at photoforbeginners.com Or search for PFBMag on PFBMag For back issues & more go to… Your best ever holiday shots LEARN EASY LANDSCAPE TRICKS P48 LATEST KIT REVIEWED P84 MASTER OVERLOOKED SETTINGS P52 Your photos Send us your best shots and they could feature here! WIN! A Samsung 16GB memory card Every issue, one winner will receive a Samsung 16GB SDHC memory card or a prize of equal value www.samsung.com/uk WIN! Full terms and conditions available online Dawn Crossing “This photograph was taken at dusk at Newport Transporter Bridge in Newport, South Wales.” Shot on: Fuji Finepix HS20EXR bridge camera, ISO 100, f2.8, 1/30sec Sent in via: PFB website Reader: Jim McSweeney 6 Photography for Beginners yOUR PHOTOS Readers’ gallery Photography for Beginners 7 Reader: Emma Molle Flower Girl “This is of a friend, outside in my garden. She started laughing and I managed to quickly snap the photo when she wasn't looking.” Shot on: Canon EOS 450D, Portrait setting Reader: Joseph Parry Flower “I decided to invest in a new 50mm f1.8 prime lens and this was the fi rst shot I took with it – fl owers in my living room." Shot on: Nikon D3100, ISO 100, f3.2, 1/320sec Reader: Michelle Yorke Snail “I bought some extension tubes to try out macro photography. I went exploring in the garden and came across this little guy.” Shot on: Canon EOS 7D, ISO 200 f4, 1/1000sec Reader: Pernille Staff ord Oil Floating In Water “It took a lot of shots to get one where the detail is correct. The water is constantly moving, so it is diffi cult to get good focus.” Shot on: Canon EOS 400D with macro lens, ISO 400, f4, 1/60sec Reader: Andy Dodds Waterfall “The photo was taken at Roche Abbey near Rotherham. I didn’t know the waterfall was there until I walked through the woods at the back of the Abbey.” Shot on: Canon 550D, ISO 400, f22, 30sec Share your shots at photoforbeginners.com Or search for PFBMag on 8 Photography for Beginners YOUR PHOTOS Readers’ gallery R y Reader: Phoebe Pearce Title: Mum's Roses Reader: Laurajane McDowall Title: Mother’s Day Rose Reader: Stuart Bagnall Sunset On The Reservoir “This was taken at Belmont Reservoir in Bolton at about 9.30pm." Shot on: iPhone 5 using an app called Filters Winner! Reader: Isabelle King Title: Strawberry Plant Win cameraphone kit! Send us your cameraphone shots and you could win a Manfrotto KLYP kit worth £95/approx $150. For more info head to www. manfrotto.co.uk. Full terms and conditions available online. Win cameraphone kit! Send us your cameraphone shots and you could win a Manfrotto ENTER NOW: Send your shots to pfbteam@imagine-publishing.co.uk Reader: Harry Turnball Title: The Writing's On The Wall Reader: Yvonne Warriner Title: The Algarve Reader: Gavin Davies Title: Dusk At Shwedagon Pagoda Photography for Beginners 9 Your camera is great for capturing split seconds of action that may be too fast to see with the naked eye. You can then preserve those fantastic moments forever in the form of a dramatic and stunning photo. Manipulating your camera’s shutter speed lets you achieve some really creative results when photographing moving subjects. A fast shutter speed will freeze them in the frame, while slowing it down will let you capture some motion blur to imply speed. You can also try panning with your subject to keep them in focus but create directional blur in the background. In Issue 27, we gave you all the tips and advice you need to take fantastic photos of action, including some fun projects to try at home and test out your skills. Then we challenged you to send us your best shots. Here is a selection of our favourite ones. Action photography Our Beginner’s Guide to action photography can be found in PFB Issue 27. Get back issues from… We challenged, you delivered… Spinning Ride “I took this photo at a funfair in Shoreham, West Sussex, capturing the movementof the ride.” Shot on: Canon EOS 1100D, 1/13sec, ISO 100, f36 Sent in via: PFB website Winner! Reader: Gemma Clark best shots. Here is a Send us your shots at photoforbeginners.com Search for PFBMag on Your next photo challenge Outdoor portraits Test out our tips for taking great portraits on location in this issue’s Beginner’s Guide and send us your best shots by 6 August 2013 for a chance to win a MAGIX PhotoStory on DVD 2013 Deluxe. Prize may be substituted for an item of equal value. Full T&Cs available online. WIN! PhotoStory on DVD software Send us your shots for a chance to win a copy of MAGIX PhotoStory on DVD, courtesy of www. magix.com. This software, which allows you to turn your photos into fantastic slideshows, is worth £70/$70. READERS’ CHALLENGE Action [...]... on page 26 P28 Take inspiration from our easy-to-follow outdoors portrait projects on page 28 22 Photography for Beginners In association withShooting Stunning land Make use of colour When choosing your location for your outdoor portraits, try and look for areas of colour like this field of flowers, for a fun, summery style ✔ 1/500sec F2.8 BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO Outdoor portraits Essential tips for shooting... of this issue to help you capture fantastic photos in new and exciting places “Your camera lets you preserve precious holiday memories forever” 30 Photography for Beginners Photography for Beginners Passport THE ULTIMATE HOLIDAY KIT All you need to capture precious moments Lightweight tripod Solar charger A tripod is useful for taking stunning low-light shots with long exposures, but a full-sized model... Photography for Beginners 31 Photography for Beginners Passport CAPTURE STUNNING LANDSCAPES “Look for foreground interest and position it off-centre” Choose your settings Switch to aperture priority mode and select a large f-number to keep your entire shot in focus If you are shooting in low light, your shutter speed will be quite slow, so use a tripod to avoid camera shake Find a vantage point Before... into hot topics with our debates! 12 Photography for Beginners Share your shots at photoforbeginners.com Search for PFBMag on Need to know A snapshot of what’s exciting us this month Get colourful with the new Pentax DSLR Choose from 120 different colour combinations for the K-50 Pentax has launched a new entry-level DSLR that really stands out from the crowd The K-50 is available in a choice of 20... expensive for a back-up holiday camera The 4x optical zoom is adequate, but a larger focal length would be useful Photography for Beginners 21 Shooting Share at ots your rshginners.com o be photof Mag on arch for PFB Or se P25 Discover the most flattering focal length for photographing people on page 25 P26 We tell you how to make the most of the location you’re shooting in on page 26 P26 Learn tricks for. .. Google Earth or looking at existing photos is a good way to do this – a bit of forethought can make all the difference 32 Photography for Beginners Consider composition Look for some foreground interest, such as a building or landmark, and position it off-centre in the frame You could even use the vista as a beautiful backdrop for a portrait of your travelling companion Take a panorama Choose Panorama... you are on your travels could mean that you miss a once-in-a-lifetime shot Make sure you charge your camera regularly, or invest in an extra battery or a solar charger for keeping your power topped up on the go 04 A lens with a large focal range is a versatile option for travelling, as it will let you shoot wide-angle landscapes and get great close-ups without having to change lenses Only packing one... a wide range of devices Search for #PFBLoves on Twitter to see what we love Join the debate at photoforbeginners.com Search for PFBMag on Ask the team questions at photoforbeginners.com 4 of the best… Ways to avoid distractions in your photos Make sure you have space on your memory card so you never miss a great shot Shallow depth of field Use a wide aperture (low f-number) to create a shallow depth... ensure your shots are clear and sharp Shoot in RAW The K-50 lets you shoot in RAW, and you can process your images in-camera to save you time at the computer Take HDR images The HDR mode lets you combine several images taken at different exposures to produce a single dynamic photo 14 Photography for Beginners NEED TO KNOW News This month on… photoforbeginners.com How to get sharp shots Getting your photos... extra space Carry a spare memory card and shoot in JPEG rather than RAW to save space, although this could limit your editing capabilities Photography for Beginners 33 Photography for Beginners Passport PHOTOGRAPH THE LOCALS Be brave and ask Street portraits are great for capturing the community spirit and traditional clothing of your location Be polite and ask if you can take their picture, then offer . with photography in the reasons why a lot of us get started with photography in Welcome! Photography for Beginners 3 WELCOME Issue 28 AUTO Contents Issue. ease Improve your skills with Improve your skills with Photography for Beginners Photography for Beginners Meet the team… We all love taking photos of friends