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 CONTENTS
FIND OUT WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE
F E AT U R E
F E AT U R E
CAPTIVATING
COASTLINES
Expert tips for planning and
capturing stunning seascapes

PHOTOS
GALLERY
Our pick of the best reader
Ĝĵ±čåŸüųŅĵƤ±ųŅƚĹÚƋĘåƵŅųĬÚ

I N S P I R AT I O N
NATURE, FOR BETTER
AND FOR WORSE
ŅĹƋåŸƋÏåĬåÆų±ƋåŸƵĜĬÚĬĜüå±ĹÚ
highlights environmental issues

CRASH COURSE
CAPTURE THE ACTION
WITH SLOW SYNC
ŅĵÆĜĹåÆĬƚųųåÚĵŅƋĜŅĹƵĜƋĘ
sharp detail for amazing effects
PHOTOS I N S P I R AT I O N PHOTOSHOP
DISCOVER NEXT-GEN
NOISE REDUCTION
Ĭå±ĹƚŞŞųŅÆĬåĵŸĘŅƋŸƵĜƋĘ
Lightroom’s AI Denoise tech

CRASH COURSE PHOTOSHOP

JUS T
REVIEW 39¢/39p
SONY ZV-E1
Sony’s latest vlogging
PER ISSUE!
WHEN YOU SUBSCR IBE
camera is one for the SEE T HE SUBS C R I P T ION
ŞųŅŸØƵĜƋĘƋŅŞěŅüěƋĘåě PAGE FOR MOR E INFO
line image stabilisation
Cover Image © Getty

and subject tracking.

±ĹĜƋŅƚƋěŸĘŅŅƋƼŅƚų
iPhone? Find out in our
ĜĹěÚåŞƋĘųåƴĜåƵ
 F E A T U R E

GARDSKAGI LIGHTHOUSE, ICELAND

“The tide was at the perfect level
ƋŅƤÏųå±Ƌå±ÏƚųƴåÚĬĜĹåĬå±ÚĜĹčüųŅĵ
ƋĘåƤüŅųåčųŅƚĹÚƋŅƋĘåĬĜčĘƋĘŅƚŸåØŰŸ±ƼŸ
landscape pro Paul Killeen. “The soft
pastel colours of the sky work well with
ƋĘåÏŅŅĬåųƋŅĹåŸŅüƋĘåųŅÏĩŸţŰ
© Paul Killeen

180 ISO
21MM f/22 SEC 100

CAPTURE COASTS
Capture breathtaking coastal scenes by engaging with the elements
±ĹÚƤʱųĹ域ĜĹčƋĘåĜųűƋƚų±ĬÆå±ƚƋƼ Words by: Kim Bunermann Images by: Paul Killeen

he coast is the perfect place
T for taking spectacular pictures.
The aim of the photographer
should be to combine the beauty of
the coastal landscape with its unique
atmosphere in one image, and this
often presents many challenges, as
the environment can be harsh and
the power of nature overwhelming at
times, especially if you’re unfamiliar
with the area in which you’re shooting.
Planning is therefore one of the
most important things, along with a
technical understanding of how to
compose shots and highlight colour.
The secret to coastal photography
is to engage with the surroundings so
you can avoid creating images that
the world has already seen. Coastal
landscapes consist of a multitude
of elements that are just waiting to
be staged – that’s why it’s vital to
pay attention to details, and bring in
unconventional perspectives, so that
you can stand out from the crowd.
Focus on specific factors, such
as colours and shapes, to create
compelling photos that will take your
portfolio to the next level. Over the
next few pages we’ll give you insights
into how you can improve the quality
of your coastal shots with the right kit,
compositions, and editing techniques.
 F E
PACK YOUR GEAR
Prepare for any situation with the right kit
5 ISO
16MM f/10 SEC 160
hen you’re shooting by the
W coast, the weather conditions
can quickly turn harsh. Wind,
water and sand are among the biggest
enemies of your optical or electronic
kit. To weatherproof the camera,
invest in a rain cover for protection.
Depending on where you’re shooting,
sea spray can also be an issue.
One popular technique for
protecting the lens – using an extra
UV filter and taking it off just before
shooting – is inconvenient when you’re
shooting seascapes. When you’re
working with long exposures and other
filters it can soon become fiddly and
add to the challenges you already face
– and although you can use both a UV
A T U R
filter and, for example, and ND filter,
the quality of your images may suffer.
So always keep a microfibre lens cloth
in your bag, and remember to wipe the
lens clean every now and again.
Coastal areas are often vulnerable
to strong winds, which can be another
challenge. Pack a sturdy tripod, along
with an additional weight to provide
extra stability. Before setting off for
your shoot, check that all tripod parts
are still tight – these can come loose
over time, but are easily tightened
up with the help of an Allen key.
Remember that sand is not the best
surface upon which to place your
tripod; a good tip is to take paper
plates, and place them under the legs
E
SLIEVE LEAGUE, IRELAND
Paul Killeen took this image in
challenging conditions. “I was perched
ŅĹƋĘååÚčåŅü±ÏĬĜýƵĜƋĘĉĂĵŞĘƵĜĹÚ
±ĹÚĜĹÏŅĵĜĹčų±ĜĹØŰĘ埱ƼŸ
to prevent them from sinking. A solid © Paul Killeen
ƋųĜŞŅÚĜŸŅĹĬƼʱĬüƤƋĘåƱƋƋĬåƋĘŅƚčĘô
you need to use a suitable tripod head
for extra support. There’s always the
question of whether a ball head or
geared head is better for coastal shots.
A ball head is a good all-rounder that
allows you to quickly adjust different
setups but lacks other features; a
geared head gives you more options
and allows for finer adjustments.
After a shoot, make sure to wipe
your equipment down with a cloth,
and, if sand has gotten into the tripod
joints, disassemble it and clean it
immediately. This way, you will maintain
the quality of your equipment and
extend its working life.
 F E
PACK YOUR GEAR CONTINUED
THE POWER OF FILTERS
Use ND and polarising filters to boost your coastal shots
When you’re photographing seascapes
with long shutter speeds, the challenge is
to balance the exposure correctly. This is
ƵĘåųåĹåƚƋų±ĬÚåĹŸĜƋƼŠc%šĀĬƋåųŸÏŅĵåĜĹØ
allowing you to extend exposure times.
c%ĀĬƋåųŸÏŅĵåĜĹÚĜýåųåĹƋŸƋųåĹčƋĘŸüŅų
ÚĜýåųåĹƋĬĜčĘƋĜĹčŸĜƋƚ±ƋĜŅĹŸØåűÆĬĜĹčƼŅƚ
to shoot long exposures without the risk of
clipping highlights. Where extremely long
shutter speeds are needed, simply
ÏŅĵÆĜĹåƋƵŅŅųĵŅųåc%ĀĬƋåųŸţ
Sometimes, the background and
üŅųåčųŅƚĹÚĹååÚÚĜýåųåĹƋåƻŞŅŸƚųåƋĜĵåŸ
to emphasise the dynamics of the scene.
CHOOSE YOUR OPTICS An overview of the effects of different focal lengths for coastal photography
WIDE-ANGLE
œĜƋʱűĹčĬåŅüƴĜåƵŅüÆåƋƵååĹƅĉ±ĹÚ
íĉÚåčųååŸØ±ƵĜÚåě±ĹčĬåĬåĹŸϱŞƋƚųåŸ
the entire scene and allows for a broad
ÚåŞƋĘŅüĀåĬÚţXåĹŸåŸŸƚÏʱŸƋĘå±ĹŅĹ
8ŎĂěƐĂĵĵüxƖţíXF„Ž„a±ųåŞåųüåÏƋüŅų
ĘĜčĘĬĜčĘƋĜĹčŸƚÆģåÏƋŸ±ƋÚĜýåųåĹƋÚĜŸƋ±ĹÏåŸ
while also bringing out elements in the
foreground.
A T U R
:ų±Úƚ±ƋåÚc%Š:c%šĀĬƋåųŸĘåĬŞĘåųåØ
±ŸƤƋĘåƼüå±Ƌƚųå±ÆųĜčĘƋĹ域čų±ÚĜåĹƋ
üųŅĵƤƋŅŞƋŅÆŅƋƋŅĵرĹÚ±ųåƋƼŞĜϱĬƚŸåÚ
to allow you to correctly expose a darker
landscape without overexposing the sky.
eĹŅƋĘåų域åĹƋĜ±ĬĀĬƋåųüŅųŸå±ŸÏ±ŞåŸ
ĜŸƤ±ƤŞŅĬ±ųĜŸåųØƵĘĜÏĘĜŸƚŸåÚƋŅĜĹƋåĹŸĜüƼ
blue skies and reduce glare on water
±ĹÚƤŅƋĘåųŸĘĜĹƼŸƚųü±ÏåŸţ
œĘåĹƼŅƚ±ƋƋ±ÏʱĀĬƋåųØƋĘååƻŞŅŸƚųå
ƋĜĵåƵĜĬĬĹååÚƋŅÆåųåϱĬÏƚĬ±ƋåÚţ‰ŅĀĹÚ
out the new exposure time, check your
ĀĬƋåųűŸĵ±Ĺƚ±ĬŅų±Ĺ±ŞŞôƋĘĜŸƵĜĬĬÚåŞåĹÚ
ŅĹƋĘåŸƋųåĹčƋĘŅüƋĘåĀĬƋåųƼŅƚ±ųåƚŸĜĹčţ
ZOOM
Zoom lenses are workhorses, opening up
new perspectives with their versatile focal
ĬåĹčƋĘų±ĹčåôƵĜƋĘƋĘå„Ĝčĵ±ƀLjěƖLjLjĵĵ
üxƖţí%:k„B„aØüŅųåƻ±ĵŞĬåØƼŅƚϱĹ
zoom in on isolated coastal features to put
them in the spotlight. Zooms have a wide
ų±ĹčåŅüƚŸåŸ±ĹÚ±ųåčųå±ƋüŅųÚĜýåųåĹƋ
genres, so they’re worth the investment.
E
PICK FLUORINE COATING
Take advantage of the right finish
to protect your lenses
If you’re thinking of investing in a
new lens for coastal shots, you
should consider the type of lens
ÏŅ±ƋĜĹčţeĬƋĘŅƚčĘƼŅƚϱĹƚŸåĀĬƋåųŸ
to protect the lens when you’re
shooting by the coast, if you’re
buying a lens you should make sure
ƋʱƋƋĘåüųŅĹƋåĬåĵåĹƋĜŸĀĹĜŸĘåÚ
ƵĜƋʱāƚŅųĜĹåÏŅ±ƋĜĹčţ‰ĘĜŸƤÏŅ±ƋĜĹč
has the advantage of repelling
Ƶ±ƋåųÚųŅޟرĹÚĜƋ±ĬŸŅŅýåųŸŸŅĵå
protection against dust and dirt and
makes for easier cleaning. Since the
coastal atmosphere is rich in salt,
water accumulates and breaks
down the front element, and the
coating prevents this layer of salt
from causing scratches.
GET A
CLEAR VIEW
When working in bright light
conditions, a screen loupe is
a useful accessory to take with
you. This blocks out light and
allows you to see the camera’s
preview screen clearly, so
you can check for detail
and sharpness.
TELEPHOTO
A telephoto lens such as the Tokina SZ
ƐLjLjĵĵ{kåāåƻ8ƀţŎa88ÏŅĵŞų域åŸ
a scene visually and adds dynamism. This
Tokina lens impresses with its compact
telescopic design, making the lens shorter
±ĹÚĵŅųå±ýŅųÚ±ÆĬåţFĹčåĹåų±ĬØĜƋűŸƵŅųƋĘ
combining such lenses with a teleconverter
to extend their focal length even more.
 F E
PLANNING IS KEY
Get the most from the coast by planning your visits around the tides
MOODY ATMOSPHERE
The cold tonal range
ŅüƤÏŅĬŅƚųŸÏŅĹƴåƼŸƋĘå
atmosphere of the blue
hour and transfers this
feeling to the viewer
MAGICAL WATER
A long exposure of
around 10 minutes
softens the sea and the
clouds, transforming
them into a mysterious-
looking haze
BLUE HOUR AT BRIGHTON PIER
401 ISO
16MM f/11
© Paul Killeen
SEC 100
hen it comes to coastal
W photography, the right location,
light and timing are crucial.
Every country that has a coastline has
well-known locations that are popular
with landscape photographers. If
you choose to visit such places, be
prepared for them to be busy with
tourists – and you’re also likely to be
elbow to elbow (or tripod to tripod) with
other photographers.
While such spots give you the
advantage of knowing the best places
and angles to shoot from, they also
restrict your freedom to compose and
may be counterproductive, especially
ĜüƤƼŅƚűųåŸƋĜĬĬĘŅĹĜĹčƼŅƚųŸĩĜĬĬŸţ
Instead, look for places that are
diverse and offer a variety of photo
opportunities. This way, you can be
creative and flexible, which will be
reflected in your photographs. Once
you’ve found the perfect stretch of
coastline, make yourself aware of its
ÏŅĹÚĜƋĜŅĹŸţXŅƵƋĜÚå±ĹÚĘĜčĘƋĜÚå
will have a big impact both on your
freedom of movement around the
coast and on your compositions.
A T U R
ADAPT TO
THE LIGHT
Shooting in the midday sun is
usually not ideal when it comes
ƋŅÏŅ±ŸƋ±ĬŞĘŅƋŅčų±ŞĘƼţBŅƵåƴåųØ
if you’re at the seaside in bright
conditions, why not make the most of
it by focusing on coastal structures
that stand out due to the intense
light and shadows. To highlight
these features, you can convert
images to black and white
in post-processing.
Set yourself a shooting schedule,
and arrive at the location at least
an hour before you’re due to start
shooting. This will give you enough
time to decide on some compositions
and set up your camera. If you plan
ƋŅƤŞĘŅƋŅčų±ŞĘ±ƋĹĜčĘƋØĵ±ĩåŸƚųå
to visit during daylight to familiarise
ƼŅƚųŸåĬüƵĜƋĘƋĘåŸƚųųŅƚĹÚĜĹčŸţa±ĹƼ
factors can influence the results,
ŸŅĜƋűŸƤƵŅųƋĘϱŞƋƚųĜĹčƋĘåĬŅϱƋĜŅĹ
more than once. Take advantage of
familiarity with the environment, and
try out new compositions.
E
CONTRASTING ELEMENTS
Strong colour contrast
makes the derelict pier stand
out even more against the
natural beauty of the sea
STRAIGHT HORIZON LINE
A continuous straight horizon
adds a calmness to the image,
and acts as a clear dividing line
between the sea and the sky
TIME IT RIGHT
For maximum impact, capture
coastal shots during the blue
ĘŅƚųƤ±ĹÚčŅĬÚåĹĘŅƚų
The most popular times for pros to
capture coasts are at the blue and golden
hours, which take place just before and
after sunrise or sunset. Pre-dawn and
post-sunset are perfect times to add
magical blue tones to your shots, though
the post-sunset light lasts longer than
during pre-dawn.
Golden hour light falls at an angle that
creates long shadows, so pay attention to
your position, and avoid appearing as a
shadow in the shot. If you photograph
directly into the sun, use a lens hood,
ŅųƤŸĘĜåĬÚƋĘåƋŅŞŅüƋĘåĬåĹŸƵĜƋĘƼŅƚų
hand. Since the light is less intense during
these hours, this is the
perfect time to increase
the exposure time and
capture the scene
artistically, and to enhance
those natural colours,
choose a custom white
balance. Apps such as The
Photographer’s Ephemeris
Ņų:ŅĬÚåĹBŅƚųkĹåϱĹ
help you create a shooting
schedule, while Tides Near
aåčĜƴåŸƼŅƚ±ÏĬå±ų
overview of the tide times
at a particular location.
 F E
CREATE BALANCED COMPOSITIONS
Make the most of seascape lines to direct the
ƴĜåƵåųűŸƤč±DŽåƤƵĜƋĘƤŸĜĵŞĬåƤ±ĹÚƤåüüåÏƋĜƴåüų±ĵĜĹč
181 ISO
17MM f/22 SEC 100
INCLUDE
NEGATIVE SPACE
Add some minimalism
to your coastal images by
giving the main element room
to breathe. By adding some
negative space, the focus is
directed the subject, helping
it to stand out clearly
and increasing its
© Paul Killeen
impact.
oastal areas are often vast
C landscapes, and at first this
may feel overwhelming. Focus
on a suitable composition that reflects
the atmosphere and captivates the
viewer; as with many other types of
compositions, at the coast, less can
ŅüƋåĹƤÆåĵŅųåţ
When you arrive at an unfamiliar
location, it’s important to first take in
your surroundings. Focus on an area
that you want to photograph and set up
your tripod. A tripod is an essential tool
in coastal photography, as it not only
supports your camera for shake-free
shots and long exposures, but also helps
slow down your working process.
To create balanced and powerful
A T U R
compositions, avoid trying to bring too
many aspects into the frame, as this can
ÆåÚĜŸƋų±ÏƋĜĹčüŅųƋĘåƴĜåƵåųţXŅŅĩŅƚƋüŅų
any prominent features around the area
– whether those are man-made features
such as a pier, jetty or lighthouse or
natural ones, such as a cave, rock
formation or headland – that will add
extra layers and textures to the image.
When you’ve settled on the basic
framing, focus in closer, by either getting
physically nearer to the subject or by
zooming in. This means the essential
elements of your frame are given full
attention, minimisng clutter. Fine-tune
your composition by looking out for lines
that you can use to direct the viewer’s
gaze towards the key elements.
E
BRIDGE TO NOWHERE
“This old bridge on a beach in
Dunbar, Scotland, had long been
ŅĹĵƼĬĜŸƋŅüĬŅϱƋĜŅĹŸØŰ{±ƚĬ
says. “I knew the tide would be
close to the level I wanted, but
FƤčŅƋĬƚÏĩƼƵĜƋĘƋĘåÏŅĬŅƚųŸŰ
DISCOVER IN-CAMERA
FEATURES
Get your camera ready for the
coast to improve composition
One of the most important elements of
coastal photography is the horizon – if
this is not straight, the shot loses impact.
The grid feature in your camera menu, or
ŸŅĬƚƋĜŅĹŸŸƚÏʱŸcĜĩŅĹűŸůšĜųƋƚ±ĬBŅųĜDŽŅĹű
function mean you can see the horizon
on screen, making it easier to compose.
Pay attention to focal lengths, as some
can introduce lens distortion. If you’re
using a wide-angle lens, avoid shooting
upwards or downwards and; if working
with a telephoto lens, the compressed
perspective will show little distortion.
 F E A T U R E

CREATE BALANCED COMPOSITIONS

CONTINUED

16MM f/16
126
SEC
ISO
100
SIMPLIFY FRAMING
Use the effectiveness of time-
tested photography rules to draw
DAWN AT STROOVE the viewer’s attention
Paul says: “This was taken in Donegal.
a±ĹƼŞĘŅƋŅčų±ŞĘåųŸŸĘŅŅƋƋĘĜŸŸÏåĹåĜĹ
landscape, but I opted for portrait to make
ƋĘåĵŅŸƋŅüƋĘåčųå±ƋĬå±ÚĜĹčĬĜĹåŰ

1 USE THE RULE OF THIRDS

You don’t have to put the main
element in the centre of the frame, and
placing subjects along the rule of thirds
grid lines or at their intersections is very
åýåÏƋĜƴåţkĹåčŅŅÚŸƋų±ƋåčƼüŅųÏŅ±ŸƋ±Ĭ
shots is to place the horizon on either the
ƚŞŞåųŅųĬŅƵåųčĜųÚĬĜĹåØŸŅƋĘåŸĩƼĀĬĬŸ
the top third or two-thirds of the frame.

2 INCLUDE LEADING LINES

XŅŅĩüŅųĬĜĹåŸĜĹƋĘåŸÏåĹåôåĜƋĘåų
man-made elements like roads or
natural features. These act as powerful
compositional tools, leading the viewer
into the scene. To maximise impact, try
ÚĜýåųåĹƋ±ĹčĬ埱ĹÚƴ±ųƼƋĘåŅųĜåĹƋ±ƋĜŅĹţ

3 GET LOW
Instead of capturing the scene as we
normally perceive it, try lowering the
perspective. This technique frames the
main subject and foreground elements,
but includes more details and textures,
© Paul Killeen

giving the image another layer and

creating a sense of scale.
 F E A T U R E

IMPROVE EXPOSURES
Enhance depth to convey the unique atmosphere of coastal areas

0.8 ISO
17MM f/20 SEC 320

PRECIOUS STONE
“I got soaked making this image, but it was
ƵŅųƋĘĜƋØŰŸ±ƼŸ{±ƚĬţŮFƚŸåÚ±ĹƚĵÆųåĬĬ±ƋŅ
protect my gear as the waves washed
±ųŅƚĹÚĵåţFŸĘŅƋƋĘĜŸŸÏåĹå±ųŅƚĹÚƐLj
ƋĜĵåŸƋŅϱŞƋƚųåĜƋģƚŸƋ±ŸFʱÚƴĜŸƚ±ĬĜŸåÚŰ

© Paul Killeen

o enhance the effectiveness
T of your coastal images, an
understanding of tonal range
is essential. Both when you’re shooting
and in post-production, the histogram
will become your new best friend.
‰ĘåƤĘĜŸƋŅčų±ĵÚĜŸŞĬ±ƼŸƋĘåÚ±ųĩåŸƋ
tones in an image on the left, with
the lightest tones on the right. The
tonal range of a scene can be divided
into five sections – blacks, shadows,
midtones, highlights and whites.
Generally, darker tones and bright
highlights should not be ‘clipped’ on
the histogram, as this means detail is
lost in those areas. But some coastal
shots can benefit from deep blacks
and increased contrast – indeed,
photographers often shoot against
ƋĘåƤŸƚĹƋŅÏųå±ƋåŸƋƼĬĜŸĘŸĜĬĘŅƚåƋƋåŸţ
XĜčĘƋĜĹčÏŅĹÚĜƋĜŅĹŸĜĹÏŅ±ŸƋ±Ĭ±ų屟
can be challenging, and high-contrast
scenes may require you to shoot
more than one exposure to capture
all elements at their best. One way of
doing this by shooting three or more
bracketed exposures to capture the full
range of tones in the scene, and then
combining them either in-camera or
in software to create a high dynamic
ų±ĹčåŠB%šĜĵ±čåƋʱƋÏŅĹƋ±ĜĹŸ
well-exposed tones from the darkest
shadows to the brightest highlights.
 F E A T U R E

IMPROVE EXPOSURES CONTINUED

CREATE ARTISTIC BLUR Use long exposures to create fine-art images of moving water
While much of the coastal landscape is static, you can introduce an element of movement into your images by shooting close to the sea
ŸĘŅųåţ±ŞƋƚųĜĹčƋĘåĵŅƴåĵåĹƋŅüƋĘåƋĜÚåÆƼƚŸĜĹčĬŅĹčåƻŞŅŸƚųåŸƵĜĬĬĜĬĬƚŸƋų±ƋåƋĘåāŅƵŅüƋĘåƵ±Ƌåų±ųŅƚĹÚųŅÏĩŸ±ĹÚŅƋĘåųŅÆģåÏƋŸţ

1 EXPERIMENT
„Ƌ±ųƋÆƼƋųƼĜĹčŅƚƋÚĜýåųåĹƋüų±ĵĜĹč
options. Set up your tripod, placing paper
plates or cardboard under the legs to
prevent them from sinking into the sand.
Use a lower perspective to improve the
water dynamics and stretch the horizon.
2 SECURE CAMERA
aŅƚĹƋƼŅƚųϱĵåų±ŅĹƋĘåƋųĜŞŅÚ±ĹÚ
use a remote shutter release to avoid any
camera shake when working with long
shutter speeds. Depending on the wind
conditions, you may need to add weight to
ƋĘåƋųĜŞŅÚƋŅƤåĹŸƚųåŸƋ±ÆĜĬĜƋƼţ
3 MANAGE SETTINGS
Because of the longer exposure time
and the increased amount of light falling
on the sensor, work with minimum ISO
ƴ±ĬƚåŸţĘŅŅŸå±Ĺ±ŞåųƋƚųåŅüüxŎŎŅų
higher to enhance sharpness and adjust
your focus point.

4 CONNECT SHUTTER REMOTE

Attach your remote shutter release
to the camera, as it’s almost impossible
to manually release the shutter without
causing camera shake. Alternatively, you
can select the self-timer function from your
camera menu.
5 ADJUST FILTRATION
eƋƋ±ÏʱĹÚ±ÚģƚŸƋ±Ĺc%ĀĬƋåų±ĹÚÏĘåÏĩ
that there’s no spray on the lens. When
ƵŅųĩĜĹčƵĜƋĘÏĜųÏƚĬ±ųĀĬƋåųŸØĵ±ĩåŸƚųåƼŅƚ
don’t move the focus point when you attach
it. Use an app to calculate the optimum
åƻŞŅŸƚųåƋĜĵåƵĜƋĘƋĘåĀĬƋåųĀƋƋåÚţ
6 RIGHT TIMING
When working with exposure times
Ņü±ųŅƚĹÚLjţĂŸåÏØƵ±ĜƋüŅųƋĘåƵ±Ƌåų
movement to come towards you, then take
ŸŅĵåƋåŸƋŸĘŅƋŸţ‰ĘåĜĹƋåĹŸĜƋƼŅüƋĘååýåÏƋ
depends on both the water movement and
your shutter speed.

MAXIMISE IMPACT These four editing steps will maximise the colours and depth of coastal images

BLEND IT REDUCE FLARE WORK ON COLOURS FINE-TUNE

a±ƻĜĵĜŸåƋĘåÏŅĬŅƚųÚåŞƋĘÆƼ
working in 16-bit mode. You
can gain full control and blend
exposures manually with layer
masks and brush tools. You can
also use Photoshop’s Photomerge
function to blend and eliminate
ghost elements.
The Clone Stamp and Spot
Bå±ĬĜĹčųƚŸĘ±ųåÆŅƋĘčųå±ƋƋŅŅĬŸ
for correcting any distracting
ā±ųåţ¥ŅƚϱűĬŸŅ±ÚÚ±Bƚåx
Saturation adjustment layer, select
an appropriate colour range and
adjust the lightness sliders until
ƋĘåā±ųåĜŸųåĵŅƴåÚţ
Optimise the atmosphere in your
images by subtly adjusting colour
ƚŸĜĹčƋĘåBƚå±ĹÚ„±Ƌƚų±ƋĜŅĹ
ÏŅĹƋųŅĬŸţ{ĘŅƋŅŸĘŅޱĬŸŅýåųŸ±
ų±ƵĀĬƋåųŅŞƋĜŅĹƋʱƋ±ĬĬŅƵŸƼŅƚ
ƋŅŸŞåÏĜĀϱĬĬƼÏŅųųåÏƋƋĘåÏŅĬŅƚųŸ
according to your preferences.
Enhance the overall contrast of
the image by concentrating on
the details. Use the Dodge and
Burn tools to manually highlight
elements or to visually de-
emphasise them. Sharpen your
Ĝĵ±čåŸåĬåÏƋĜƴåĬƼţBåųåØƋ±ųčåƋåÚ
åÚĜƋĜĹčϱĹŞųŅƴåĵŅųååýåÏƋĜƴåţ
 F E
World Landscape Photographer of the Year Paul Killeen
gives advice on capturing successful coastal images
1/6 ISO
17MM f/22
SEC 100
Paul, tell us a bit about
yourself and your
photographic journey
From a young age, I have
always had an interest in
photography – not what
I would call ‘proper’ photography, but
just point-and-click stuff in my early
teens. I was at Art College in Belfast, and
there I started learning photography as
a medium. After I graduated, I took a job
that wasn’t creative at all and fell away
üųŅĵŞĘŅƋŅčų±ŞĘƼţƚƋĜĹƖLjŎLjFģŅĜĹåÚ
a local camera club and it sparked my
creative interest again. Ever since then, I
have worked hard at developing my craft.
What do you especially look for when
you are capturing the beauty of coasts?
I love making images by the sea – I’m
drawn to water. Firstly, you have to
be careful with your equipment – I’ve
learnt the hard way that salt water
kills expensive gear! When planning a
seascape shoot, I will always look at the
A T U R
PRO ADVICE
“I LEARNT THE HARD WAY... SALT
WATER KILLS GEAR”
tidal times. Download tide and weather
apps, as they will help you to choose
ƼŅƚųƤĬŅϱƋĜŅĹŸţ„ŅĵåĬŅϱƋĜŅĹŸųå±ĬĬƼÚŅ
look better when the tide is at a certain
ĬåƴåĬţBŅƵåƴåųØƋĘåŅĹĬƼƵ±ƼŅüč±ĜĹĜĹč
this knowledge is by going to the same
location a few times.
Use filters to add mood to a scene
and get creative with exposure times.
Adjusting your settings, such as ISO or
üxŸƋŅŞØϱĹÏʱĹčåƼŅƚųåƻŞŅŸƚųå±ĹÚ
drastically change the look of an image.
Don’t be afraid to shoot the same scene
a number of times. Clouds move, as
ÚŅåŸƤƋĘåüĬŅƵŅüƵ±ƋåųĜĹå±ÏĘĜĵ±čå
ƼŅƚƤĵ±ĩåţkĹÏåƼŅƚűųåƱÏĩĘŅĵåØÏĬå±Ĺ
your equipment, including the tripod.
Stay safe, and never take unnecessary
risks in order to get an image. And most
importantly, have fun!
E
DOWNHILL AT DUSK
“When everything is just perfect – the
weather conditions, the foreground and a
© Paul Killeen
great subject – that’s a rare thing in
Ĭ±ĹڟϱŞåŞĘŅƋŅčų±ŞĘƼŰ
What equipment do you use most
regularly for your coastal shoots?
FŸĘŅŅƋƵĜƋʱ±ĹŅĹ)k„ñƋŞųåŸåĹƋţ
In my bag, there are a few lenses that
help me deal with most locations I
ŞĘŅƋŅčų±ŞĘØĜĹÏĬƚÚĜĹč±ŎƅěƐĂĵĵر
ƖĉěŎLjĂĵĵ±ĹÚ±ƀLjěƐLjLjĵĵţXåå8ĜĬƋåųŸ
are an extremely important part of my
gear – I have a variety of graduated
filters and neutral density filters. These
help balance highlights and shadows
in camera and lengthen exposures, as I
often produce long-exposure work. I like
to shoot my images correctly in camera,
so the correct use of filters is important
in achieving this. As I shoot a lot of long
exposures filters are vital, but I will also
use filters to introduce mood into an
image and enhance whatever conditions
there may have been on location. Of
 F E A T U R E

PRO ADVICE CONTINUED

A SLEEPING GIANTŮFƋƋŅŅĩĵåŎƐŸĜƻěĘŅƚų
STORM OVER BALLYVAUGHAN
ųŅƚĹÚěƋųĜŞģŅƚųĹåƼŸƋŅƋĘĜŸĬŅϱƋĜŅĹƋŅĀűĬĬƼčåƋ
“I have a soft spot for a square crop, and
an image that I was pleased with. It just shows
151 ISO this image suits it so well. Using the path
ƋʱƋŞåųŸĜŸƋåĹÏåޱƼŸŅýŰ 16MM f/10 SEC 100 Ƶ±ŸŅÆƴĜŅƚŸÆƚƋåýåÏƋĜƴåرĹÚƋĘå
ÏŅĹÚĜƋĜŅĹŸƵåųåƵŅĹÚåųüƚĬŰ

162 ISO
16MM f/11 SEC 320

course, a sturdy tripod and a shutter

release button are also necessary when
I’m making my work.

How do you sell your photography?

I have an Etsy shop at present and I
sell my fine art prints from there. Some INFINITY
people prefer to make contact through “I was actually hoping for some colour
my website or social media to make on the morning of this shoot, but instead
I got a grey start to the day. Filters helped
a purchase, and that’s fine too. I don’t
ƋŅ±ÚÚĵŅŅÚƋŅƋĘĜŸĜĵ±čåŰ
make my images with the view of making
money or getting print sales, it’s my
passion. Too many great images are
only ever seen on social media when
someone is scrolling on their phone.
BŅƵåƴåųØĜĹĵƼŅŞĜĹĜŅĹØƋĘåųåűŸĹŅÆåƋƋåų
way of viewing photography than looking
at a large fine-art print. It’s the final piece
of the photography jigsaw.

What has been the proudest moment

ĜĹƤƼŅƚųϱųååųŸŅü±ųũ
X±ŸƋƼå±ųØFƵ±ŸƴŅƋåÚƋĘåkƴåų±ĬĬœĜĹĹåų
ĜĹƋĘåœŅųĬÚX±ĹڟϱŞå{ĘŅƋŅčų±ŞĘåų
competition for an image called ‘Souls
Tied’ – that was surreal. I also won
the Black & White Category in the UK
X±ĹڟϱŞå{ĘŅƋŅčų±ŞĘåųŅüƋĘå¥å±ų
ƖLjƖƖØƵĘĜÏĘƵ±Ÿ±ĬŸŅŸŞåÏĜ±ĬţB±ƴĜĹč
ŅƋĘåųĜĵ±čåŸüå±ƋƚųåÚĜĹX{k‰¥Ņƴåų
the years has also been amazing. For
321 ISO
ƐƻÙ{±ƚĬUĜĬĬååĹ

ĵƼƤƵŅųĩƋŅŸĜƋ±ĬŅĹčŸĜÚåƋʱƋŅüŸŅĵå 21MM f/22 SEC 100

ŅüƤĵƼü±ƴŅƚųĜƋåĬ±ĹڟϱŞåŞĘŅƋŅčų±ŞĘåųŸ
is really pleasing.
 F E A T U R E

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR

COASTAL PHOTOGRAPHY
What to do – and what not to do – for top seascape shots

BALBRIGGAN LIGHTHOUSE
“I shot this from under an umbrella as
DO: SLOW DOWN the rain fell. I used the negative space
ŽŸåƋĘåÏʱų±ÏƋåųĜŸƋĜÏåýåÏƋŅüĬŅĹč above the lighthouse to give the main
exposure times to capture water artfully. ŸƚÆģåÏƋųŅŅĵƋŅÆųå±ƋĘåŰ
Alternatively, blur moving clouds to add
calm and movement to a scene.
126 ISO
DO: FILTER IT 60MM f/16 SEC 100
ŽŸåĀĬƋåųŸƋŅÆŅŅŸƋÏŅĬŅƚųŸØĜĹÏų屟å
your shutter speed without overexposing
highlights, and balance the exposure in
high-contrast scenes.

DO: LOOK FOR LINES

Integrate leading lines into your
composition to create dynamism and
draw the viewer’s eye directly to the
ĵ±ĜĹƤåĬåĵåĹƋŸţ

DO: CLEAN EQUIPMENT

Taking care of your equipment after a
shoot at the coast is essential to maintain
its quality and extend its life.

DO: BREAK THE RULES

Rules are useful guidelines, but you
ŸĘŅƚĬÚ±ĬƵ±ƼŸƋųƼƋŅåƻŞåųĜĵåĹƋţaŅƴå
out of your comfort zone by testing out
ĬŅƋŸŅüÚĜýåųåĹƋƋåÏĘĹĜŧƚåŸţ

DON’T: MISS MAGIC HOURS

If there’s one thing worth getting up
really early or staying up late for as a
photographer, it’s the golden and blue
ĘŅƚųŸţa±ĩåƋĘååýŅųƋ±ĹÚƼŅƚųÏŅ±ŸƋ±Ĭ
Ĝĵ±čåŸƵĜĬĬÆåĹåĀƋţ

DON’T: CLUTTER THE FRAME

8ŅÏƚŸŅĹŸŞåÏĜĀÏåĬåĵåĹƋŸ±ĹÚ
adjust the framing in their favour. Use
compositional guidelines to draw
attention to the main elements.

DON’T: EXCLUDE FOREGROUND

Including coastal features such as
āŅƵåųŸØčų±ŸŸåŸ±ĹÚųŅÏĩŸĜĹƋĘå
foreground of the frame gives your
images additional layers of depth.

DON’T: FORGET DETAILS

Coastal scenery can be overwhelming –
focus on details and structures to create
images with impact.

DON’T: NEGLECT MONOCHROME

a±ƼÏŅ±ŸƋ±ĬŸÏåĹ埱ĹÚŸƚÆģåÏƋŸƵĜĬĬ
ÆåĹåĀƋüųŅĵÆåĜĹčÏŅĹƴåųƋåÚƋŅÆĬ±Ïĩ
© Paul Killeen

and white in post-production to bring out

shapes and textures.
 G A L L E R Y

XPOSURE
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS

SHAGS
GEORGE HART
“A pair of shags photographed at the Bullers of Buchan, a collapsed sea
cave close to the village of the same name in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.”
https://bit.ly/3CSP6oH
 G A L L E R Y
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS

ANEMONE
HELEN GEORGE
“I photographed this anemone in high key, placing it in front of a window with a
backdrop of mixed violas that were outside in the garden, which created a dreamy
pastel bokeh. I used the macro setting on my Panasonic DMC-FZ1000.”
https://bit.ly/44olETi
 G A L L E R Y
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS

LUMIERE
DAVID MILLICAN
“I shot this at the Lumiere Festival in Durham, England.”
http://bit.ly/38lr7Q7
 G A L L E R Y
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS

NOT SO WINDY POST

PAUL HOPKINS
“Used as a marker to guide medieval travellers going from Buckfast to
Tavistock in Devon, England, this granite post has stood its lonely watch for
centuries. It’s thought to have been erected in the 1400s, and now serves as
an attraction to photographers or a rubbing post for the local cattle.”
https://bit.ly/3reue4I

PHOTOGRAPHY WEEK WANTS YOUR PHOTOS!

Taken a portrait you’re particularly proud of? Shot a sensational sunset you’d like to
show off? Then join the Photography Week Facebook community and share your best
FACEBOOK FLICKR photos today! You’ll get feedback from fellow readers and the Photography Week
http://bit.ly/39py9lg http://bit.ly/2VIgsJO team, plus the chance to appear in Xposure, or even on our cover!
 OVER 3,000 FREE SIX MONTH SELL OR TRADE ALL PRODUCTS
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 I N S P I  A T I O N

F ‰ ű „   k k X Ø  ‰ B e‰
THE BEST THING WE’ VE SEEN THIS WEEK

Images © The photographer and courtesy Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Environmental Photography Award
Polar Fox by Knut M Selmer, 2nd place, Polar Wonders Flood ÆƼaĜÏĘåĬåX±ŞĜĹĜØ„ĘŅųƋĬĜŸƋåÚØBƚĵ±ĹĜƋƼšåųŸƚŸc±Ƌƚųå

Predator vs PredatorÆƼĬåĵåĹƋ8ŅĹƋ±ĜĹåØƐųÚŞĬ±ÏåØFĹƋŅƋĘå8ŅųåŸƋ My Kingdom by Simon Biddie, 1st place, Ocean Worlds

IMAGES CELEBRATE NATURE’S

BEAUTY, AND ITS STRUGGLES
Stunning winners of the Environmental Photography Award are announced
he winners of the 2023 Prince Albert
T II of Monaco Foundation
Environmental Photography Award
have been announced. The competition,
which is in its third year, was established to
celebrate photographers who help to raise
awareness of environmental issues, with
entrants invited to explore humanity’s
relationship with nature. The images range
from the beautiful and inspiring to photos
that highlight the darker side of man’s
impact on wildlife and the environment.
This year’s competition received an
overwhelming response, with more than
2,300 photographers from around the world
submitting some 10,000 images across five
categories: Polar Wonders, Into the Forest,
Ocean Worlds, Humanity Versus Nature,
SEE MOR E IM AGE S
±ĹÚƤʱĹčåa±ĩåųŸ×屟ŅĹŸüŅųBŅŞåţ
h t t p s : // bi t . ly/ 3pDKg c 0
ĬĜÏĩƋĘåĬĜĹĩƋŅŸåå±ĬĬƋĘåƵĜĹĹĜĹč±ĹÚ
shortlisted images from this year’s awards
±ƋƤƋĘåÏŅĵŞåƋĜƋĜŅĹƵåÆŸĜƋåţ
 S K I L L S

CRASH COURSE
ESSENTIAL PHOTO SKILLS MADE EASY

GE T A K ICK WI TH SLOW SYNC

James Paterson shows you how to combine long exposures
with flash for an eye-catching slow-speed sync effect

burst of flash lets us freeze flash and gelled LED lighting, we can light plays a negligible role, but here,

A motion, and a long exposure

lets us create motion blur.
Both are great skills to learn
in their own right, but if you’re looking
for a creative approach to action shots,
the slow sync flash technique lets us
have it all in a single frame. Sometimes
called shutter dragging, this is where
we use a flash with a longer-than-
normal exposure to introduce motion
blur. It’s a great trick to try for action
or sports subjects, like our taekwondo
expert here. By using a combination of
create streaks of blur to convey the
movement of the subject, along with
flash to freeze the motion.
Whenever we use flash, we’re
effectively making two exposures in
one. First there’s the flash exposure,
in which the subject is lit by the near-
instant burst of light. But there’s also
the ambient exposure, where the light
in the scene – whether it be natural
daylight, room lights or other artificial
lighting – plays a part. The flash can
ÆåƤŸŅŞŅƵåųüƚĬƋʱƋƋĘå±ĵÆĜåĹƋ
ÆƼƤŸƋųåƋÏĘĜĹčŅƚųŸĘƚƋƋåųŸŞååÚƋŅ±
second or so, the divide is obvious.
‰ĘåƤ±ĵÆĜåĹƋåƻŞŅŸƚųåÏųå±ƋåŸƋĘå
ÆĬƚųØƤ±ĹÚƋĘåüĬ±ŸĘåƻŞŅŸƚųåüųååDŽåŸ
ƋĘåƤüĜűĬĵŅƴåĵåĹƋŅüƋĘåŸƚÆģåÏƋţ
This might look like a Photoshop
effect, but everything is done entirely
in-camera. There’s an element of trial
±ĹÚåųųŅųĜĹƤƋĜĵĜĹčƋĘåĵŅƋĜŅĹŅüƼŅƚų
ŸƚÆģåÏƋ±ĹÚƱĬ±ĹÏĜĹčƋĘåĬĜčĘƋĜĹčØƤÆƚƋ
when the combination of light sources
ÏŅĵåŸƤƋŅčåƋĘåųĜĹƋĘåųĜčĘƋƵ±ƼØƋĘå
results can be jaw-dropping.

Learn how to capture both sharp and blurred action with a combination of constant and flash lighting
1 DARK ROOM
We need our backdrop to be as dark
±ŸƤŞŅŸŸĜÆĬåØŸŅƋʱƋƋĘåŅĹĬƼ±ĵÆĜåĹƋ
ĬĜčĘƋĜŸƤÏŅĵĜĹčüųŅĵŅƚųX)%Ÿţ)ĜƋĘåų
close all the curtains, or shoot outside
at night. A plain, dark background will
åĹŸƚųåƋĘåÆĬƚųĜŸ±ŸÏĬå±ųƤ±ŸŞŅŸŸĜÆĬåţ
We fastened some black material for
the background and floor.
3 2
5
4 CROSS LIGHTING
Separating the lighting like this, so
ƋʱƋƤƋĘåÏŅĹŸƋ±ĹƋĬĜčĘƋĜĹčĘĜƋŸƋĘåŅĹå
side and the flash the other, will help to
ensure the blurry and sharp parts don’t
overlap. Make sure you keep the flash
ĵŅÚåĬĬĜĹčĬĜčĘƋŸŅüüرĹÚ±ĹčĬåŅųƤüĬ±č
all the lights to prevent them spilling
ŅƴåųƤŅĹƋŅƋĘåÚ±ųĩƱÏĩÚųŅŞţ
S K I L L S
SLOW SYNC SETUP
2 CONSTANT LIGHTS
The constant lights shining here
illuminate the subject from behind to
the right side as he moves. Effectively,
they’re for the blurry part of the long
exposure. We’ve used two LED lights
here, one fitted with a red gel, the other
fitted with a snoot to control the spread
ŅüƤĬĜčĘƋ±ĹÚŸåƋƋŅÏųå±Ƌå±Ƶ±ųĵÏŅĬŅƚųţ
1
5 PLAN THE MOTION
There’s an element of trial and error
ĜĹƤƋĜĵĜĹčƋĘåĵŅƋĜŅĹŅüƼŅƚųŸƚÆģåÏƋţ„Ņ
plan ahead by going through the sort of
action you want. Then figure out what
you want the final position to be. Here
we wanted Mitch to finish with a kick,
ŸŅƵåƵŅųĩåÚŅĹƋĘåŞĬ±ÏåĵåĹƋŅüƤƋĘå
flash so that it would best show this.
3 FLASHES
Two flashes are placed to the left of the
subject here: a rear flash fitted with a blue
gel to give us a strong edge highlight,
and a side-on flash fitted with a softbox
to provide a gentler illumination (this one
also had a blue gel inside to tint the light).
The rear light is set to manual power, and
the softbox is set at 1/16 power.
4
6 EXPOSURE & FOCUS
Our camera here is set to Manual
mode, with aperture f/6.3, ISO100,
shutter speed Bulb. Focusing can be a
challenge. Ask the subject to stand in
their final position, pre-focus on it and
move them to their start position. If it’s
a side-to-side motion then focusing
is easier, as they’ll always be a similar
distance from the camera.
 S K I L L S
HOW TO BRING DOWN THE CURTAIN

1
THE FIRST CURTAIN
The default for flashes is to fire at the start of
±ĹƤåƻŞŅŸƚųåØƵĘĜÏĘĜŸųåüåųųåÚƋŅ±ŸƋĘåüĜųŸƋ
or front curtain. But when using a slow shutter
speed, it can appear a bit strange. I took a shot of
myself running from one side of the frame to the
ŅƋĘåųţ‰ĘåÆĬƚųųƼޱųƋŸŅƴåųĬ±ŞƋĘåƤŸĘ±ųŞޱųƋŸØ
±ĹÚĜĹƋĘĜŸĜĵ±čåĜƋ±ŞŞå±ųŸƋʱƋFűĵƤ±ÏƋƚ±ĬĬƼ
moving backwards.

2
SET REAR CURTAIN SYNC
To fire the flash at the end of the exposure
instead, use rear curtain sync. If you have a
compatible wireless trigger, set it on the trigger.
Or you can use a hotshoe-mounted flashgun,
then set the off-camera flashes to optical trigger
mode so they fire on detecting the flashgun.

3
NATURAL MOTION
When set to rear curtain sync, the flash will fire
just before the second curtain closes the shutter
(or for electric shutters, just before the sensor
readout stops). This results in better definition,
with a clearer divide between flash and blur,
which makes more sense visually, as the blur
trails behind my motion.
 S K I L L S
HOW TO BRING DOWN THE CURTAIN

4
TRY COLOUR GELS
Try adding colours to your constant lighting to
tint the blurry parts of the photo – we used a red
gel in front of one of our two LEDs. If you’re using
bicolour LEDs you can also experiment with
ÚĜüüåųåĹƋÏŅĬŅƚųƋåĵŞåų±ƋƚųåŸţBåųåƵåŸåƋƤƋĘå
LED to 2700 Kelvin for a warm tint.

5
BUILD THE LIGHTING
Start by working out an exposure for the constant
lights, so leave the flash off to begin with and find
a manual exposure that works for you. A good
stock setting is a shutter speed around 1 sec (or
use Bulb), aperture f/8, ISO100. Next turn on the
flashes. Don’t touch your exposure settings –
tailor the flash power to suit.

6
USE BULB MODE
Bulb Mode can help us time the shot to finish
at the perfect moment, as we can simply end
the exposure by releasing the shutter. This way
we need not worry about timing a one- or two-
ŸåÏŅĹÚåƻŞŅŸƚųåƋŅƋĘåĜųĵŅƴåĵåĹƋŸţFƤŸĜĵŞĬƼ
ĘåĬÚĵƼüĜĹčåųŅĹƋĘåŸĘƚƋƋåųØƋĘåĹƤĬåƋčŅ±ƋƋĘå
apex of the kick.
 S K I L L S
BOOST THE BLUR
Enhance your slow-sync photos in Lightroom and Photoshop with these simple editing tips

1 ENHANCE COLOURS 2 TIDY THE EDGES 3 CHECK THE SHADOWS

Open the image in Camera Raw or
Lightroom and hit K for the Adjustment
Brush. Paint roughly over the blurry
parts of the scene to create a mask,
then try increasing the Clarity value
to crisp up the flowing lines for more
defined blur. You can also lighten or
darken the blur using the tool.
There are likely to be parts of the frame
that look messy, either because you’ve
included areas of backdrop or because
of lens flare. Hitting K again will create
another brush mask. Paint around the
messy areas, then decrease Exposure
to darken them. Repeat, if necessary,
until they’re fully black.
Use Photoshop’s Burn Tool set to Range:
Shadows to ensure the backdrop
ĜŸüƚĬĬƼƤÆĬ±ÏĩţFƋƤϱĹĘåĬŞƋŅ±ÚÚ±
temporary adjustment layer like this to
overly lighten things, so that you can see
ƵʱƋĹååÚŸƋŅÆåÆƚųĹƋĜĹţƤ‰Ęå%ŅÚčå
tool can also be useful. Set it to Range:
Lighten to lift streaks that are a little dim.

TAKE IT FURTHER WITH PANNING BLUR

Use camera movements while shutter dragging to create amazing blur effects

As well as blurring the motion of a subject, we can

also use camera motion to create blur. For this
shot we had the subject stay still, and I panned the
camera from one side to another to create the blur.
There are lots of other ways to get creative with
shutter drag too. If you have a zoom lens you can
get interesting results by zooming in or out during
the exposure. You could also try including other
lights in the frame, like fairy lights or coloured
LEDs. To take it further, why not experiment by
firing the flash at different points, like halfway
through the exposure? Or perhaps experiment by
having your constant lights pulse so that the blur is
staccato. When you start to experiment, you’ll find
there are all sorts of creative possibilities.
 E D I T I N G

PH OTOS H O P
LEARN ESSENTIAL EDITING SKILLS FAST!

W AT CH T HE V IDEO
h t t p s : // b i t . l y/43Vc 3D K

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HOW TO... P R O J EC T F I L E S
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MASTER LIGHTROOM’S
ON A PC OR MAC

AI-POWERED DENOISE TOOL

Adobe’s new addition to Lightroom and Camera Raw uses AI to fix noisy images
f you’re wondering whether
I artificial intelligence will lead
ƋŅƤƋĘåÚå±ƋĘŅüŞĘŅƋŅčų±ŞĘƼØ
here’s a good news story: AI is amazing
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eÚŅÆåűŸĹåƵeFěŞŅƵåųåÚ%åĹŅĜŸå
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image shot in a dark forest at ISO
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wonders on this and other grainy
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that were almost invisible in the original
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 MIRRORLESS TEST
EXPERT OPINION ON THE L ATEST KIT

SONY ZV-E1
Does this small and powerful vlogging camera justify its high price?

www.sony.co.uk £2,350/$2,199 (body only)

he vlogging camera space is
T heating up, with manufacturers
targeting content creators with
products tailored specifically to their
needs. Sony was one of the first to
identify this market, and has produced
several cameras in its vlog-focused
ZV line, including the ZV-E10 and the
ZV-1F, both of which were aimed at
the entry-level vlogger, with 1-inch or
APS-C sensors and affordable prices.
Now Sony has something for the
more serious vlogger: the ZV-E1. It’s
a full-frame vlogging camera, with
image stabilisation and a subject
recognition and tracking system
pulled from its top-of-the-line
professional camera, the A7R V.
However, the ZV-E1 is still dogged
by the same question as the rest of
the vlogging camera market: when the
video on an iPhone is so good (and is
getting better), is there a need for a
dedicated £2,350 vlogging camera?
Key features
The Sony ZV-E1 uses the same
ŸåĹŸŅųƤ±ŸƋĘåeƀ„FFFرĹÚüå±Ƌƚų埱
12MP back-side illuminated sensor
with an impressive 15-plus stops of
dynamic range and ISO range of
80-102,400 (expandable up to
409,600), powered by the Bionz XR
processor and the dedicated AI chip
from the A7R V. The camera inherits
the impressive autofocus features from
the A7R V, including person and animal
subject recognition that tracks limb
and body movements, so you can
focus on partially obscured subjects.
In terms of video specifications, the
ZV-E1 can capture 4K 60p footage
without pixel binning, and the camera
supports S-Log and 10-bit 4:2:2 all-
intra internally and can be connected
 MIRRORLESS TEST SONY Z V-E1

to an external monitor using a micro-

HDMI for recording. It’s also capable
of live video streaming at 4K 30p or
Full HD 60p via USB-C.
Sony markets the ZV-E1 as the
02
perfect tool for in-camera content
creation, providing plenty of creative
options and one-touch controls for
shooting settings. The camera offers
a redesigned menu, incorporating 01
the best features from Alpha and FX
bodies, as well as a My Style quick
menu for easy adjustments. The ZV-E1
comes with Cinematic Vlog settings,
featuring preset LUTs that can be
combined to adjust the footage’s look
and mood. Users can also load their 03
own LUTs for in-camera processing.
The ZV-E1 also features a new
Frame Stabilizer mode that uses
eFƤƋŅƋų±ÏĩƋĘåŸƚÆģåÏƋ±ĹÚĵ±ĜĹƋ±ĜĹ
selected subject framing, and a
Dynamic Active mode that attempts
to stabilise the scene with a fixed
crop. The camera also has Auto
Framing, which adjusts the frame
ƋŅƤĩååŞƋĘåŸƚÆģåÏƋÏåĹƋųåÚţ 07

1 The zoom lever works with Sony PZ lenses to

smoothly zoom in and out while shooting.

2 The ZV-E1 comes with a windscreen to

04
reduce microphone noise when you’re
shooting outdoors.
06
3 The ZV-E1 features a full-frame sensor, and
will work with Sony’s E-mount lenses. 05
4 Sony has added custom function buttons
that are customisable for quick access to the
features you use most.

5 The ZV-E1 has a fully articulating vari-angle

screen for awkward shooting angles.

6 Common settings can be found around the

control dial on the rear of the camera.

7 A custom dial can be set to change any of

the settings, such as aperture or ISO.
08
8 A button on the top quickly activates Sony’s
enhanced background depth feature.

9 The top switch sets the camera to photo, 09

video, or S&Q modes, for slow and fast motion.
 MIRRORLESS TEST SONY Z V-E1

Sony’s latest autofocus tracking is incredibly fast

© Gareth Bevan
and accurate – you don’t have to worry about focus,
and can concentrate on other aspects of filming
© Gareth Bevan

Fine-grained control options are The disadvantage of the Sony ZV-E1’s smaller
available for crop modes, including sensor is that it limits the ability to crop images
size, and how quickly the crop will and maintain quality, although it should be
change between subjects. However, enough for social media or online usage
cropped footage is recorded in Full HD
and not 4K, and the camera enables
users to record original 4K footage
externally via HDMI while recording
cropped footage internally. The ZV-E1
dynamically adjusts its aperture value
The ZV-E1’s video footage has a more
when multiple faces are detected,
accurate tonal range and more natural
© Gareth Bevan

ensuring everyone is in focus.

Build and handling
The ZV-E1 feels every bit as premium
as its price tag suggests. Despite
sharing the same design ethos as
other cameras in the line, the plastic
body of the ZV-E1 feels thicker and
sturdier, with the buttons and dials
feeling more hard-wearing.
processing than the HDR-heavy video filmed
on a smartphone camera
The ports and SD card slot on the
ZV-E1 are on the side, behind robust
doors rather than rubber flaps. These
blend in with the design, but there
are no markings, so you need to learn
which port is behind each door.
The ZV-E1 is easy and intuitive to
use; you can just pick it up and get
great-quality footage without knowing
much about videography. But there’s
a professional depth, too, so novices
can become familiar with settings and
 MIRRORLESS TEST SONY Z V-E1

The stills performance of the ZV-E1 is excellent, as has long been the case
with Sony cameras. Images are sharp, with excellent natural colours and
fantastic dynamic range. However, this camera’s priority isn’t stills, and it’s
held back by its 12.4MP sensor, which is smaller than the norm nowadays.

expand their video capabilities, while
more experienced users can jump in.
The size of the ZV-E1 is pretty
special. Placed next to my Fujifilm
X-E4, the Sony was only marginally
bigger with its grip. I used the ZV-E1
with one of Sony’s best lenses, the FE
24-70mm F/2.8 GM, but it was a poor
match. The grip is substantial enough
for smaller lenses – something like
the FE 24mm F/2.8 G lens would be
perfect – but with larger lenses, it was
difficult to keep steady during filming.
Heavier lenses like the 24-70mm
made the camera front-heavy, pulling
the weight forwards on the grip, so it
became uncomfortable to keep the
camera held up to the eye for long.
Battery life is good – I went a
whole day filming short 4K clips with
autofocus and image stabilisation, as
well as shooting stills. This will vary if
you use power zoom lenses, but you
could take this camera out for a day’s
exploring without battery anxiety.
Video performance
For the purposes of testing, I used
ƋĘåƤϱĵåų±±ŸĜüFƵåųå±ƴĬŅččåųØ
ƵĜƋĘƤ±ƴĜÚåŅčŅĜĹčŸƋų±ĜčĘƋƚŞŅĹĵƼ
hypothetical YouTube channel. I shot
footage in 4K 24fps without S-Log or
any other settings requiring extra
post-production work; those options
are available for more creative
filmmakers, but I wanted to work with
footage straight from the camera, as
appears to be Sony’s intention.
The ZV-E1 produced some quality
footage, with a more accurate
tonal range than I captured on my
phone, with more natural processing
compared to the HDR-heavy phone
video. This is where the full-frame
© Gareth Bevan
sensor and its larger pixels can
shine, with improved dynamic range
capturing the tones and shadows
more effectively; and the additional
depth of field was superior to any
‘cinematic mode’ on the phone.
However, 4K video direct from
the ZV-E1 is no better than from
other cameras I’ve tested. The latest
4K vlogging cameras from Canon,
Panasonic or Fujifilm are pretty similar,
especially if you use them for social
media, streaming or vlogging video.
Where the ZV-E1 shines is in its
subject recognition and tracking. Sony
has one of the best human subject
recognition systems around, and it’s
capable of tracking people down to
their skeletal movements. Filming
people, the camera kept the focus
locked on the subject’s head even
when they were facing in another
 MIRRORLESS TEST SONY Z V-E1
Compact, lightweight
and packing plenty of
useful features, the
;7&NBLFTBçGJOF

vlogging camera
direction, and when they turned to
face the camera it swapped to eye
focus faster than I could blink. Only
occasionally did it incorrectly identify
and lock onto inanimate objects.
Image stabilisation is a mixed
bag. The ZV-E1 is meant to be used
handheld, so offers three levels of
stabilisation to compensate. Standard
stabilisation was fine for slow zooming
or panning, but try to walk or move
with the camera and footage quickly
became unusable. Swapping to
Active or Dynamic Active stabilisation
helped, though at the cost of a fairly
significant crop. I also struggled to fit
in buildings and other large objects
once the crop was applied.
The mileage you get from the
image stabilisation depends on what
you want to film and the lens you own.
The image stabilisation is useful when
SENSOR: 12.1MP FULL-FRAME CMOS IMAGE
PROCESSOR: BIONZ XR LENS MOUNT:
SONY E-MOUNT VIEWFINDER: ELECTRONIC
VIEWFINDER, 2.36-MILLION DOTS LCD
SCREEN: VARI-ANGLE TOUCHSCREEN
LCD, 3.0 INCHES, 921,600 DOTS VIDEO
RECORDING: 4K UHD AT UP TO 30FPS, FULL
HD AT UP TO 120FPS AUTOFOCUS: PHASE-
DETECTION AND CONTRAST-DETECTION
AUTOFOCUS CONNECTIVITY: WI-FI,
BLUETOOTH DIMENSIONS: 122.5 X 72.8 X
94.8MM WEIGHT: 492G (BODY ONLY)
moving while filming other people LAB TESTS
or wildlife, the Active IS and tracking
autofocus are a perfect combination
for this – you can comfortably get RESOLUTION (LINE WIDTHS/PICTURE HEIGHT)
handheld stable footage without the
use of an additional gimbal.
The built-in microphone on the
ZV-E1 beats the mics on most regular
mirrorless cameras. The microphone
has automatic directional audio,
which did a good job at picking up
and isolating my voice, especially in
noisier environments. However, the
microphone still is not as full and
rounded as a larger external mic.
8FUFTUFEUIF;7&BHBJOTUUIF'VKJmMN9)4
Stills performance the Canon EOS R6 Mk II and the Panasonic Lumix
The ZV-E1’s stills are typically good S5 II. With ‘only’ 12.1MP, the ZV-E1 doesn’t score
for a Sony camera. They’re sharp, with highly in our resolution test, although while
outright detail capture is mediocre, its excellent
excellent natural colours and fantastic high-ISO image quality means detail isn’t
dynamic range. Again, the ZV-E1’s obscured by noise at higher sensitivities.
autofocus and tracking system works
well, and focus was lightning fast on
everything. It’s especially impressive SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO (DECIBELS)
with human subjects; eye tracking is
never perfect on any camera system,
but in bursts of shots on the ZV-E1,
Sony’s system had a high hit rate. Stills
are not this camera’s primary purpose,
however, and the ZV-E1 is held back
by only having a 12.4MP sensor, which
is considerably smaller than what is
now the norm for any digital camera.
This limits the ability to crop images
while maintaining quality, although it
will be more than enough for social
This test compares the noise generated by the
media or most other online use cases. cameras at different ISO settings, so while
Gareth Bevan we’d expect to see it fall as ISO increases, the
ZV-E1’s image quality holds up very well.
VERDIC T DYNAMIC RANGE (EV)
The ZV-E1 is an excellent vlogging
camera. It’s small, compact
and lightweight while packing
in features such as an image-
stabilised full-frame sensor,
subject recognition and auto-
tracking. Stills quality is also
fantastic, though limited by the
12MP sensor. The ZV-E1 is similar
to Sony’s A7C, which offers better
stills and is more affordable.
Though the ZV-E1’s relatively low pixel count
scores against it for detail capture, it pays
dividends for capturing the maximum possible
dynamic range – great if you’re shooting in
less-than-ideal lighting.
 C R E D I T S

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