Photography News 16

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MASTERCLASS: CLOSE-UP David Noton We’ll be tapping into landscape photographer and Canon ambassador David Noton’s fount of expertise to help you and your club bag the top prize. This month, David shares his tips on how to capture close-ups

David’s top tips “If you really need to get that optimum depth-of-field, then a tripod and minimum aperture are going to be necessary. Use mirror lock or live view to ensure there is absolutely no mirror slap or camera movement.” STILLANDSTEADY

AU NATUREL

“Look at what nature is giving you: Mother Nature’s own

compositions are usually the best.”

UP CLOSE “A dedicated macro lens such as the Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro is a great tool to have if you’re into close-up work.” “I avoid cropping wherever possible. I try and compose in camera to make use of every pixel available. I think it’s good photographic discipline to train your eyes to see what’s there and compose, frame and crop in camera rather than shooting and then just throwing pixels and information later.” PRIORITY “I tend to work in aperture-priority exposure mode. That’s particularly relevant for close-up work because depth-of-field is usually your first consideration.” APERTURE- CROP IN CAMERA

LEFT David captured this close-up of an elephant whilst on safari in Kruger National Park. Canon EOS 5DMark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II USM, 1/100sec at f/4, ISO 1600. BELOWPoppy in a field. Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon 70- 200mm f/2.8L II USM, 1/1250sec at f/2.8, ISO 100.

on the road in front of us,” he recalls. “I had this huge 500mm lens on my Canon and there was no way I could get all of the elephant in the frame, but I was struck by the wonderful textures of its skin. I went in on the eye, isolating in on that detail and in the picture it works so well.” When asked if he has a favourite subject to capture up close, David seemed to take inspiration from everywhere. “I don’t know where to stop, there can be such great details in rocks, moss and barks but the patterns and shapes in nature are all there provided for us,” he says, “It’s just whether you stop to notice or not.”

the minimum depth-of-field for creative purposes, dropping the background totally out of focus.” Packing a standard or mid-range zoom, such as the high-performance Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM lens, will ensure you’re ready to get up close should the opportunity present itself. To take you even closer, David recommends the Canon 25mm extension tube as a pocket-friendly alternative to a dedicated macro lens. However, for serious macro photographers David says nothing compares to a lens like the Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. But when the landscape photographer found himself unexpectedly confronted with an elephant right up close, he had to make use of the lens he had to hand. “We were trying to get back to the camp in Kruger National Park and the elephant was literally

The first thing that comes to mind when David thinks of close-ups is rolling round in the undergrowth. With his Canon EOS 5D Mark III of course. As a celebrated landscape photographer, he’s usually captivated by sweeping scenes but by getting up close there are all kinds of textures, details and colour in nature that can make for just as striking a shot. “What can be equally illuminating and challenging photographically is looking at the world in detail, what’s happening beneath our feet, almost literally,” says David. His Canon EOS 5D Mark III is ideal for capturing these more unusual perspectives. “Low down is quite a difficult viewpoint to work in; live view on my Mark III is really handy to check composition when I’m in a difficult position,” he enthuses. Retraining your eye to hunt for details can seem unnatural, especially when you are more accustomed to looking at the bigger picture. David explains that there are two approaches you can take. “You can try and get everything sharp and show detail in the picture,” he says. “Or you can use creatively selective focus which can be so powerful when working close up, deliberately isolating detail by shooting wide open at maximum aperture and minimum depth-of-field.” Getting the depth-of- field right is one of the trickier aspects of shooting close-up, but David advises to just go with it. “The closer you get, the shallower the depth-of-field gets. I tend to not fight that and actually start using

π To find out more, go to www.davidnoton.com.

Watch and learn

Lowdown is quite a difficult viewpoint to work in; live viewonmy Mark III is reallyhandy to check composition

For more tips, David’s DVD Photography in the Raw offers practical advice on all kinds of subjects from how to read the light to how to capture the best picture in any situation. Copies can be purchased from his website and prices start from £24 and go up to £32.40 for a Full HD edition.

Photography News | Issue 16