Digital Photographer

Spring is a veritable paradise for nature photographers. To make the most of the new season, this issue we asked top wildlife pro Simon Roy to share advice for capturing the flora and fauna of spring with extra creativity. Dynamic animal shots are of

Peter has been writing for Digital Photographer for many years and is an expert on all things image-related. This month, he’s put together a guide that’s full of top advice for shooting and editing to a professional level with a smartphone (p58), as

International Garden Photographer of the Year is a competition that specialises in showcasing and exhibiting the world’s best photographers and images, focusing on the beauty of gardens, plants, flowers and botanical photography. Run in association w

The afternoon sunlight passed through the glasshouse panes and illuminated the mist, colouring the Palm House in gaseous hues of yellow and blue; one can almost breathe in the heavy, enchanting atmosphere Fujian Province is home to many tea plantati

Our next competition, Wedding Wonders, challenges you to submit your very best wedding or engagement shots. We’re looking for artistry over technical expertise. Enter at photocrowd.com/digitalphotographer for a chance to win a licence to Affinity Pho

For our latest competition in association with Photocrowd, we challenged you to submit your best images of urban exploration. After working through thousands of brilliant entries, the winners have been selected. Both crowd-voted and expert winners wi

After much speculation and rumour, Fujifilm has officially released its new flagship APS-C format mirrorless camera, the X-T4. With a clear focus on enthusiasts and pros (hello Digital Photographer readers) the X-T4 features a raft of higher-end spec

Users of Sony E-mount cameras have new perspectives to look forward to with the announcement of the widest compatible lens ever, the Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G. This full-frame optic offers an uncropped focal length and can be used with cameras such as the

TJ Drysdale is a professional portrait, fine art and fashion photographer, originally from New York City and now working in Tampa, Florida. His immediately recognisable style has won the appreciation of followers around the world, and his images have

The arrival of spring is the moment I always look forward to, as winter loosens its grip and the land awakens. The temperature rises and the last frosts are celebrated with flecks of green. Spring is a season of colour and courtship, bunnies and bird

These days much of my photography is driven by the need to produce commercial pictures, and those with a seasonal feel tend to stand out. Add unusual or interesting behaviour and you have all the ingredients for highly desirable, potentially award-wi

For me, setting long-term projects or even planning specific images is a fun and fundamental part of the picture-making process. It allows me to be more productive when I’m not behind the camera and more effective when I am. That’s not to say that I

One of the most important tools in wildlife photography is fieldcraft. This is a general term that covers the skills needed to find, approach, and eventually photograph wildlife. At an advanced level this includes the ability to track animals through

Many wild animals have an instinctive fear of humans, and even the best camera and super-telephoto lens will be insufficient if the species you are trying to photograph feels threatened by you. Here are top ways to stay out of sight. 1 Stay low Try

My photographic style has changed over the years, and these days I tend to shoot with the subject small in the frame to include lots of negative space. I will also typically use positive exposure compensation to lighten the image in-camera. Most of t

If you want to get your shots published in magazines, or for them to be successful in competitions, then try to capture moments rather than just pictures. Dramatic images of common creatures will often surpass simple portraits of more glamorous speci

The creative use of colour, focus, and props can be a great way to strengthen the story in a photograph or even change it completely. Colour harmony Before I could make this image (right) I had to create my own background by painting an old fence pa

Because of my graphical background I’m a big fan of Photoshop and feel it is an important tool for a digital photographer. Having said that, I do believe you should always try and make the best image possible in-camera and only use editing software t

Mark Bauer is one of the UK’s leading landscape shooters. Although best known for his evocative images of Dorset and locations in the south west of England, his work takes him to destinations around the world. Mark has been working as pro for 15 year

While good technique and a creative eye are the most important factors when it comes to creating good landscape shots, there’s no denying that the right kit is important. And when it comes to kit, the modern landscape photographer is spoiled for choi

Weight: Mirrorless cameras are lighter and more portable than DSLR equivalents. Viewfinder information: The electronic viewfinders (EVFs) of mirrorless cameras are very flexible; you can call up and dismiss a wealth of information, such as a live hi

Good lenses are the most important factor in image quality – a camera is only as good as the lens in front of it. If you have to choose between spending money on high-end lenses or a high-end camera body, go for the lenses. Until relatively recently,

Wide-angle lenses are most closely associated with landscape photography, not just because they allow a wide field of view, but also because of the drama they can create by exaggerating linear perspective. You can create a different sort of drama wit

From the various choices of exposure mode, there are two that are of interest in landscape photography, Aperture Priority and Manual, as they allow control of aperture selection – which is important as it’s one of the factors that controls depth of f

There are two ways to solve the problem of excessive contrast in landscapes: either use a graduated neutral-density filter to darken a bright sky, or blend bracketed exposures into a single image that contains all the tones. Grads are useful if somet

Several factors contribute towards image sharpness. First, you need good-quality lenses and an understanding of aperture selection. Lenses have a sweet spot – usually in the mid-range around f/8 – where they perform best, though you may need to stop

To achieve sufficient depth of field, you often need to stop your lens down past its sweet spot, losing sharpness due to diffraction. Tilt-shift lenses can generate much greater depth of field than normal lenses, but they are expensive, and not every

As digital capture became the norm, the popularity of low light and night photography boomed, because the techniques involved became more straightforward; high ISO digital capture is much cleaner than high ISO film, and also because digital long expo

1 Plan shoots carefully There are many apps such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris that aid planning. Use them to gain an advantage. 2 Don’t use filters unnecessarily Modern sensors often capture a full range of tones without the aid of a grad, so why

There was a time when no ‘serious’ photographer would consider using a smartphone to capture images destined for their professional portfolio. In the early days of the humble cameraphone this was largely justified – the technology available for use i

One of the greatest strengths of smartphone photography is its simplicity and streamlined shooting process. Whereas a full DSLR or mirrorless interchangeable lens system requires ample physical storage space and a thorough knowledge of selecting kit

Since the main advantage of using a smartphone for photography is its lightweight build and small, portable size, there are certain genres for which it is ideally suited. These include travel photography, allowing the photographer to pack minimal sup

1 Rethink your grip Hold your phone to minimise the distance your fingers have to travel to work the controls, as this movement is the biggest cause of blur. 2 Enable stabilisation Some smartphones don’t have IS active. Check this is enabled, espec

Exposing to the right (ETTR) is a standard practice for any pro digital photographer, but it is of particular benefit when using a small-sensor camera. First, expose for the highlights, then gradually use positive exposure compensation to lift shadow

Fast action is never going to be the strongest genre for smartphones, but we can anticipate problems. Foremost is autofocus – it is unlikely to be able to track fast subjects, but prefocusing and locking onto a target circumvents this. Current device

Noise does not always increase proportionally to ISO setting – there can be a jump in grain between two values. It is therefore helpful to experiment with each ISO preset to find the one that offers the best exposure-noise balance. Many ‘night’ scene

In the early days of smartphone photography the work of photographers who used such devices was largely seen as a curiosity, but as technology has advanced and the pioneering spirit of visionary artists has endured, mobile devices are now seen as ser

1 Correct exposure As most smartphones only shoot JPEGs, it is important to centre exposure as much as possible to minimise editing adjustments. 2 Shoot duplicates If you’re uncertain of the quality achievable in tough conditions, shoot multiple cop

GuruShots is billed as the world’s leading photo game. It’s an online platform conceived to give global exposure to people who love taking photographs. GuruShots members start out as Newbies and compete with other photographers to win challenges, inc

1 Find your composition Look for a subject that is bold – maybe one that is protruding above the skyline. A copse of trees or a strong-shaped building work well, while scenes that contain plenty of contrast will help to keep shapes defined. Next, scr

Difficulty level: Intermediate/Advanced Time taken: 2 hours ICM (intentional camera movement) is a technique we all try out as we progress through our photographic journeys and expand our camera craft – maybe when we are stuck creatively or happen t

Do all your capturing freehand – a tripod will restrict your movement options and will not encourage a flowing, natural movement. If you can, wield your camera in one hand, as it will aid the flow of movement. Support it with two hands if that’s unco

Pushing colour into your impressionist images can really set them apart from the rest and even help to give them a story, such as adding a warming orange or red to give the effect of a beautiful sunset, or blues and greens to reinforce a marine locat

1 Select images Appraise your images and decide which are likely to layer together well (this comes with experience). Look for interesting shapes and variable strength of presence of the subject. Choose four or five images to work with. 2 Clean up

Reversing rings are seemingly obscure accessories to new photographers, yet they offer a superb level of additional functionality for your existing lenses. By attaching a ring onto the filter thread of a standard or moderate wide optic, you can mount

With the advent of digital imagery and websites now enabling us to zoom right in on images to ‘pixel peep’, we’ve become slightly obsessed with megapixels, image quality and getting the sharpest possible shots. I’m going to prove to you that image qu

You don’t need to be a photographer to have a career in the photo industry. Over the next few pages, discover the many different pathways you can explore, from writing about images to marketing and teaching photography (although experience as a profe

Originally trained as a sociologist, I discovered photography after breaking my back in a boating accident. During a long rehabilitation and learning to walk again, I signed up to a City and Guilds Introduction to B&W photography course. I had a prof

Sony started making full-frame mirrorless cameras back in 2013. Canon and Nikon didn’t step into the ring until five years later but have certainly been making up for lost time, focusing practically all of their optical development on RF and Z-mount

Canon’s big news is about the forthcoming pro-grade EOS R5, but for now the original EOS R remains the company’s most advanced full-frame mirrorless camera. It has a virtually identical megapixel count to the 5D Mark IV SLR, although the image sensor

Nikon didn’t turn up to the full-frame mirrorless party until a couple of years ago, but the Z 7 is right on the money. Handling is superb, with an interface that enables direct access to plentiful shooting parameters without bulking up or cluttering

The headline attraction of the A7R IV is its ultra-high-resolution 61MP image sensor, beating every other camera in the group. Coupled with a top-quality lens, it’s capable of resolving finer detail. Sharpness in real-world shooting is enhanced by 5.

All the other cameras in this test group weigh in at just over 650g, but the S1R is much chunkier and weighs more than 1kg. It looks and feels more like a premium full-frame SLR, and Panasonic’s 24-70mm and 24-105mm standard zooms are also big and he

Q I’ve been hankering after a Nikon D750 but haven’t been able to afford to trade up from my D7100. Now that the D780 has arrived, would it be a good time to look for a used D750? Aimee Pritchard A You could say now is a very good time to buy a us

When Sony announced the 36MP A7R in October 2013 it attracted a lot of attention, partly because of its impressively small size for a full-frame camera, but also because it had an enticing price tag of £1,699/$2,299. Since then, with each new iterati

With its processor and front-end LSI, it can process images as 16-bit and output them as compressed or uncompressed 14-bit RAW files. 567 phase-detection points and 425 contrast-detection points cover 99.7% of the height and 74% of the width of the i

Eye detection and autofocus has been around for a while, but it was only when Sony made it work with continuous autofocus that photographers really started to take notice. The A7R IV has Real-time Eye AF for both humans and animals. It uses artificia

The joystick is wide, and it’d easy to find and use while you’re looking in the viewfinder This top-plate dial feels more robust than the A7R III’s embedded rear dial The touch screen is responsive, but we’d like to be able to make more use of it The

Capture One Pro is developed by Phase One, the Danish manufacturer of top-quality, medium-format cameras. However, the software is compatible with cameras and lenses from all the major manufacturers. At its heart it’s a RAW file-editing package, but

Phase One offers Capture One Pro 20 as a one-off purchase with a perpetual licence – there are usually discounts available for upgraders when a new version arrives. Alternatively, there’s a subscription model that can be paid monthly or annually, wit

Sigma is well known for the optical quality of its Art series, but this lens is one of the first from the maker designed exclusively for the mirrorless Sony E mount and Leica L mounts. Even for an f/1.2 lens it’s extraordinarily large, but it’s still

This isn’t the only 85mm in Sony’s range, as they also produce a spectacular f/1.4 version with a price of around £1,699. It’s a big and heavy lens though, and unlike this one, isn’t too sprightly when it comes to autofocus. Although accessibly price

Website photographygloves.com Price: $80 (approx £63) Designed with urban explorers in mind, these goat leather and merino wool gloves are designed to protect your hands as well as keep them warm. The top section of both forefingers and thumbs fl

What does it mean to be a successful photographer? Perhaps one has to earn a certain amount of money? Or have a certain number of social media followers? What if one had the fame and following but struggled to make a living? Would it make them a succ