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1. I
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5. CONTENTS AUGUST 2009 VOLUME 73, NO.8
:3 148
a::
~
Farther Figure Photographer
Paul Kline documents the
wood's parentiess children, one
56 The Future That Bombed
We admit it, we were wrong. A
trip into the Pop Photo archives reveals
~ orphanage at a time. By John Owens the Next Big Things that weren·t .
...
W TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL
By Dan Richards
52 The Future of Photography
Prepare to bid your camera
adieu. Because the Imaging
59 Your Future Ltfe••• Now
Going high-tech with your
photography is a whole lot easier. and
technology of tomorrow will look cheaper, than you think. So why wail?
nothing like today's. By Neal Matthews By Debbie Grossman
1 42
Web
o
I- 26 Nature Make art out of dirt
a long telephoto and an
with
TIps From a Pro
Turn strangers into portrait
:;i: ~. fo' the .bst,act. By Bob HWs subjects. AJI it takes is a little planning
~ 32 Lighting Take a shine
and a lot of patience. By Laurence Chen
to jewelry with glittering
inspiration-and a surprising tool-
from the d isco. By Peter Kolonia
44 You Can Do It Kick out your
blahs with a dynamic, strobe-lit
shot of an athlete in mel ion. By Arl Brewer
Exclusives
ONLY ON
WWW.POPPHOTO,CQM
34 Digital Toolbox Control
contrast, fix highlights, and
patch spots. It's easy with Photoshop
100 Three Ways Transform
ordinary scenes into magical
landscapes by making a very long
NEWS, REVIEWS.
Elements. By Debbie Grossman exposure. By Kathleen Davis
MORE HOW-TOS
Just·launched products,
straight talk, helpful
11 Editorial We don our detective's
hat and discover what you really
get when you think you got a deal.
38
a
Software Problem-Solver
Fake your way te selective focus
with simple and elegant plug-in from
advice, c reative ideas.
Everyth ing you need fo r
beller photography is
By John Owens OnOne Software. By Debbie Grossman
right here.
12 The Goods A slim camcorder,
protective support for your
compact, and more great new gear.
62 Compact Cameras Two
point-and-shOoters thaI Ie! you
get high-dynamic-range images straight
CAMERAS THAT
MATTERED MOST
Irom the camera. By Dan Richards The history of
photography is as
14 High 5 Affordable tittle
netbooks that are tailor-made
for photographers on the go. 84 Picture Doctor For criminally
good photos. pull off a frame
much about technology
as it is about art. Our
job and pocket a projector. timeline tells the story
16 How I Shot Thi. Flying-and
shootlng-solo, photographer
Alex S. Maclean captures a crowd 112 Backstory A portrait by
Heimo Schmidt, inspired by
of the medium.
E-NEWSlETTER
enjoying their moment in the sun. Icelandic mythology and American Gothic.
Get more Pop Photo
delivered weekly to
64 DSLR Test: Cnon EOS Rebel
T11 From crisp images to HD
video. the new 15.1 MP Rebel gives you
74 Hands On: Olympus E-P1
It's so cool and compact, you
won't beheve this gorgeous new camera
your inbox-absolutely
free. Just sign up at
PopPhoto.com.
more-at a bargain price. By Philip Ryan has swappable lenses. By Dan Richards
PLUS
68 DSLR Test: Sony Alpha 330
Designed lor DSLA novices, this
10.2MP offers plenty of performance in
76 Hands On: Flashpolnt F-
1428 Carbon Fiber Tripod
These light legs are made to support a
8..................................... Letters
20 ...................... Your Best Shot
a fresh. friendly. and affordable package. hefty 26 pounds of gear-more than the 40 .................................. The Ax
By Philip Ryan biggest dg we've got. By JoM Owens 77 ............................ Whlth One
90 ...................... Tima Exposure
Lens Test: Sony DT t a- 98 .......................... Cheat Sheet
73 ~5mm t/3.5-S.6 SAM AF
This tele zoom is one of two inexpensive
82 Lens Test: Sigma 18-
2S0mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS
HSM AF Huge zoom range, image
104 ........................ By the Book
108 ...................... Tech Support
kit lenses that Sony bundles with the stabilization, low distortion. It's got 111 .. Speaking of Photography
new Alpha 330. By Julia Silber something for everyone. By Julia Silber 78...........Classitled Advertising

6. Editorial Director Mark Jannot
MenagngEditor Miriam Lou c hta,
Art Director J aMn B" klllte ad
Senior Editor Peter Kolonla
SenIor Editor Dan Ri c h a rds
Senior Editor D ebbie Oro•• man
T9Cnnical Editor Philip Rya"
Technology _ Jllil a Silber
Ass[stant Editor Lori Fredric ks on
ASSIstant Ecfrtor Kathl_n Dav is
Art./Prodocbon Assistant Unaee Kara. lk
Contributing EeI l...... Tim FItZharris, AlJ6Se/I Hart, Peter Kr8l1SE1, NaaI MatthHws,
Arthur Morris, Tony Nagatomo. Bryan F Peterson
In MornofUn H e rbert K e ppler
www.P opPhoto.c:om Ed~or Sta n Horac • • k
Vice President/Publisher Jeffrey Roberts
Ass<:doto PubliSher Anthon,. M. Ruoto lO
BUl:iinl;)SS Ot!veIopment ~ Phil Mistry
Senior Aocount Exaa..itMl Sara Sc hiano Plynn
West Coast M Oi"ector Bob M eth
Accoo.xIt Executive Tara We.dr.Jd
CIassffiad Ad Sales Chip Parham
Group SIlh"Sl.1J!ector Ire ne Rey •• Col••
Dreclor ot Events & MarketIng Micheli. C • • t
Mari!.eting Manager Rachel Weitma n
Senior Promotions Designar I!rin Frie dmann
Senior PromotIOnS DesIgner Llnds.y Kri st
Special Events PrOO)C€f Erica .Johnson
Spec~1 Events Cooo:!lnator Yaness. Vazqu ez
Digital Days Coordinator Athos Kyrla k l d es
Asslstelf1 to the Publisher Kar e n Ralph
Sales Assistant Lauren Brewer
ProdtiCtiOll Mat"Ia9~ Ylckl Fe lnme l
VP; Corp. Sales and Mar'K.eting P. t ., Michals ky
Popular Science Media Group
Group Publisher Gregg R. Hano
H rtl.ln 9 S"IA_ , McpIItIgmtp::rp
.......
_"I3ZlJ ' •• Offic:" . ","otOie ;llZ,
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Chairman Jonas Bonnier
e tHel Executive OffICe( Terry Snow
ChIef Opermlng Of!1C6f Dan Altman
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VICe President. Cons'Jmef Marketng Bruce Miller
VIce President Proo:Jctioo Ll 8lII I!a rlywlne
VIce President. E·Media Bill Allm an
Vice President. Enterprise Systems Shawn Larson
Vice Presdent. Human Resources Cathy Hertz
VP. Corplr81C Corooll.Jnicat,ons Dean Turc ol
Brand Director John Miller
PubI~hing Consuhanl Millrtin S. Walk. r
Corporate Counsel Jare my Thompson
COPYRIGffI Co ~~.I!ON~RCOIIP "",mED 'NTHE UNrTf.DSTAl~S, ~PI>ot~.Pop.<", 1"i'Itotov'~' ..... go,;
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8. Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2009

9. eom. 10 J>MoIIdelphloil _",d Ify 001 some Of 11M 1..1
eq"'pm"ol that NIh" olle'~ ",.It.:d'ng tt>e " high-
dig.tal SlIh NlkKQR ~ .no 011 n'k>t,r
periOf.,-..,v<,
of {oolp,~ compact dl<)'111 umer0ll1 Vou'll ~"fe
Ptdildelpt1,oII. ~r ~forel
At thl' heart of th~ Image

10. We. Adobe? 8f'Ithu~astihobby level. (Corel's Paint ($60, street) lets Uttle Ansel review the
I'm starting to think your maga1-inc ShOp Pro PhOto X2 and Nikon Capture Shots on a l.4-lnch LCD. The 8MB
should be fe-titled "Popular NX 2 are indeed especially good.) But if memory holds about 80 photos. and
Photography and Adobe Products." you intend 10 t8"'e image.editil"lg as far there's aJso an SO slot. Styled in Dora Ihe
Virtually every issue has references you can-that is. ma"'e the most subtle Exp~erorSpongeBobl~.
to Photoshop or Elements. I and sophisticated changes-the full- . vrach Kidizoom Camera ($60. street)
understand they're currently the fledged version of Photoshop is the comes with software so kids can create
industry standard, but so much can way to go. And Ihe best training ground wacky pictures and effects when they
be done with Icss-<!lIpensive products. for thai? Elements. Which makes plug the cam9f'a into a computer. In
For example, I've been able to do Adobe a 101 like gravily-you can rail addition 10 holding up to 120 photos, it
most of the RAW file manipulation against it. but it·s still a fact. shoots up to 5 minutes of video. Also
I would want to my Nikon D70's includes games such as TIC Tac Toe and
images using Nikon's free ViewNX, Kid stuff a Memory matching game.
followed by free Picasa 3. r also find 'hat camera would you recommend
the reasonably priced Corel Paint for children? I have a son who ~oon Really unreal
Shop Pro Photo a powerful tool for will turn 3 years old. Eric Fogle In your article on using greenscreen
digital manipulation. jloon Township, PA (Lighting. June 2009), the single
I recently bought Photoshop most inlportant thing for making
Elements ha.scd on references in Here's a trio of kiddie cams that are compositcd images believcablc was
your articles, and soon realized it billed as for ages 3 and up. They're omitted: Foreground and background
brought little additional capability big and chunky. with rubbefized griPS. irrkIges should be shot at the same
to the table. You should make it oversized buttons and oops-resistant focal length, aperture, point of focus
dear that there are other products construction. All have internal memory on the footage scale (usc a stand-in
that produce similar results. And and low, loy-caliber resolutioo: when shooting a background), and,
not everyone needs the power of _ Fisher-Price KkI-Tough Digital ($50, of course, with as similar lighting
Photoshop CS4. Randy Fishwick street) is waterproof for 30 minutes In a~ possible. Bob WIemer
Woodland Hills. CA up to 3 feet of water. It comes in blue or Las Vega.~. l'>IY
pink, stores up to 500 photos, and has
Yes. thare are plenty of olher programs, an SD-card slot for more. GET IN TOUCH!
and many will serve you well al the _ Npower VGA 300K Pixel Digital Camera E-mail usatPoDEditor@hfmvs.com.
, WW'N.POPPHOTO.COM pop PHOTO AUGUST 2009

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'" have n-e.e c..1 over "The depth. texture and
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scream. especioty t11e 'Nrops are Si~ beautiful
Ijuesand yelows. " on anywal."

13. EDITORIAL -----~----------:~1iiiL1~.iijiiii"
L
DETECTIVE What do you really get
for your money?
Pop Photo's and telephoto weren't Nikkors Tessa did? How fllr does $ 1,344 go?
editOrs have at all, just those typically I shopped at the websites of some
long raged al§:aimt inexpensive converters that retailers I do know- Adorama and
online camera deals attach to the front of a regular B&H-and found what I think are
that seem too good lens. Fin~ for a point·and·shoot, better uses for Sl ,344: How about a
to be true. OUf latest but for a state-of·the·art OSLR? 090 with a VR version of the 18-
outburst was in Apri12009. when a And thafs where I question even th~ 105mm and that 50mm fl1.8?
reader asked about a Nikon D3 with Nikon lenses in this package. Despite Better yet. the camera with a 5439
a load of 3ccessorics for just $3,475. the impressive range, none n...'tails for shake-fighting Sigma 1S-200mm
Since we'd seen that camera for no more than $160, l"he only one I would £13.5-6.3 OS DC lens. Or with another
less than $4,350, we declared the deal buy is the SOmm, since the low.light !iitabili7.ed 7-OOfll , Tamron's 28-300mm
either a fantasy or a sl:am. capability of fJI .8 is hard to beat for fI3 ,5-6.3 XR VC LD, At $349. it
Soon after, several readers took w $135. Not that the 18-55mm and 70- leaves you with 595 to put toward an
to task. Among them. Tessa Reevel'ts 300mm are bad-they just aren't as 18-55mm. And there are many other
of DeKalh. IL, .....im reported landing up-to-date as the camera. (In fact, the combos to suit your style of shooting.
on eBay a "brand-new Nikon D90 70-300mm is a lO-year.old design.) Sorry, that doesn't give you the
with a tripod, tabletop tripod, five Don't confuse them with the 18- tabletop triporJ (a bcndy wire-legged
Nikonlenses, 16GB memory card, 55mm £I3.5-5,6G VRAF-S OX and 'pod that I douht could support a
fla.~h. battetywith charger. camera 70-300mm f/4.5-5 .6G VR IF·ED AF- 090), no-name memory card (if it's just
bag. USB card reader. UV filters, and S Nikkors. These are the latest shake- standard speed, you might not get the
free shipping for Sl ,344.
M
beating "rR versions, giving you 2 to 3 most out of the D90's hunt rate and
Holy cow! So I went to cBay and stops of handholding leeway. (Tessa's video ability), or hot-shoe flash (hcUo.
typed in "Nikon D90. ~ Seconds later, lenses don't ha-'e VR.) Graflted, they is there a hrand name on that ume).
I had Tessa's deal. as well as 'ariations sell for $190 and $540, respectively, Rut if you're buying a serious
on it from a bunch of camera retailers but in lenses as in life, you generally camera. you should buy higher-grade
I've never heard of. Each promised a get what you pay for--especially acce.~sories , It's not snobbery, it's
brand-new, not refurbished, nnt gray· with the more e;:pensLvc 70-300mm photography. The memory cards, filters,
market 090, a pile of extras, and a and its int~mal·focusing syrtem (so flashes, tripocl.~, and especially lenses
panoply oflcnses. For sheer volume of filters don't tum as you focus), Silent you use should complt:ment your
stuff, all of these eBay deals seemed Wave Motor ('-{uick and quiet), and camera, helping bring out all of its
amazing, But then I looked closely. chromatic-abeITIItion-battiing ED picture-taking potential. You dun't
Consider the (ense5, Tessa's kit did glass eic..'Illcntl.. Nonc of which can be get that buying by the bushel.
contain three Nikkors-an 18-55mm said about the 5 160 model. I don't want to uin on any bargain.
fI3 .5-5.6, a 70-300mm fl4-5.6, and a But what if you want a D90 and hunter's parade-but the smart money
50mm flt.S. But the wide-angie le ns don't want to spend more than is putting up an umbreUa. 0
~ PHO TO AUGUST 2009 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM

14. THE GOODS GEAR
. Point of View $230-$300, estimated street _ www.samSUDQ,COOO EXERCISE
Clunky camcorders can wreak havoc on your wrists, so it's a gcxxi thing Samsung's new YOUR RIGHT
SMX-Cl0 and SMX-Cl 4 are designed to be held more naturally and comfortably. The to bear cameras with
alien-eye looking "Active Angle Lens" design debuted on the HMX line--it includes an the RS DR·1 Double
angled LCD screen that dooSl1't obstruct your view of your subject. HOT: Hyper Digital Strap. The harness-
Image Stabilization, 10X optical loom, time-lapse recording. The C 14 model comes with style chest strap
16GB of internal memory. NOT: Unlike the HMX line, these don't shoot HD. puts a DSLR on each
hip for quick-draw
shooting. ($130, direct;
<III Urban Exploration W_W:'f:lcbJ<KM.ap~
$180. street _www.bogenjmagiog.com
Finding a Camera bag that you'd want to carry even when you MAKE SIMPLE
aren't toting your gear is like having your cake and eating it FIXES SUCH AS
too. So yOU'll feel pretty smart carrying one of the bags in the resizing and color and
Nmion81 Geographic Walkabout collection. The NG W5070 exposure corrections,
backpack comes in black canvas with leather closures, restore old photos,
and it has enough room for a day's worth of gear, as well as or transform your
loIs of personal items. HOT: Coated with a waler·resistant images completely
layer, space for a lripod and 15-inch laptop (with a zippered with layering,
removable sleeve). The lower padded compartment can fit a masking, and creative
D5LR and three or four accessories; it can also be removed effects-all for less
to convert 10 a regular daypack, NOT: Though it's great than 100 bucks. Serif's
for the city, you'll wBnt something more PhotoPlus X3 offers
durable for nature treks. a lot of options at a
reasonab le price.
($96, direct; www.serif.
Rattle and Roll ~ $30, "ceet C~JnLJlllJlliu:ilim)
• Qaryfongjnc com You probably don'1lug a tripod when
heading out with your point-and-shoot, but you'll often CLEAN UP WITH
need one--which makes the smartly designed Gary Fong YOUR PHOTOS
Flip Cage (part rugged camera-protecting roll-cogo, and when you get them
part sturdy tabletop support) an ideal accessory. It fits printed on a shower
most compact cameras and comes in 10 colors. HOl: curtain, perfect for
Folded, the metal frame protects your camera if you photographers who
drop tt, while still letting you take pictures. Flip the never want to be
legs down and you can pivot it to shoot at different away from their
angles, Including verticals and macros, NOT: While images. ($150-$200,
you still get away with carrying less, it might make direct; www.pbQto
your pocket camera not so pocket-sized. showercurtain,coml 0
WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO AUGUST 2009

16. THE GOODS HIGH 5
1. ABUS Eae PC 1 OOSHA
$439, street • www.asus.com
Asus pretty much started the netbook phenomenon wilh its Eee
serl6s. The latest, the 2.4-pound tOO8HA. has a slim ~SeashelI~
design Just 1 inch thick. Specs are typical netbook: Intel Atom
processor rmtIng WlI'ldows XP Home (or GNU UnUX). 1GB RAM
(enough for lower-horsepower image editors such as Adobe
Photoshop Elements 7), IO,'-Inch screen, and buIlt-in vJebcam.
Besides a 160GB hard drive, it comes with 10GB online storage-
not a heck 01 a lot, but a nod to the future of c loud storage. Neat
feature: a VGA Dongle to coooect the Eoo 10 a larger scroon.
2. Den Insplron Mini 10
$384, direct (as configured) • www.dell.com
We chose th is 2.S-pound model over the newer Mini lev ($299,
direct) because, tor just $35 on top of the base price. you can
conligure ils lO.I·inch screen with higher resolution (l366x768,
not the usual 1024x576}-a,lIlhe better for nwlewing your images
on the road. Slog obsessively, or just take a lot of notes? The
keyboard Is 92 percent of the size of a standard laptop's. Specs
ir1cJude the usual suspects: Intel Atom processor, Windows XP
Home, 1GB RAM, webcam. And it's available in a riot of colors.
3. HP Mini 11 0 Mobile Internet
$454, direct (as configured) _ www.hp.com
You can get an HP Mtnlll0 for as little as $275, street, but we'd
opt for the 2.6-pound Mobile Internet model because that's
exactty what you get: irTtemet connectivity via the 3G cellular
network. So you can go on6ne anywhere you can get a cellphone
s.gnal-no hotspots or route( needed. Great for uploading
PIctures whIle sluing under a tree. and a VGA port lets you hook
up to a big screen when you get home. You have a choice of
AT&T or Veru:on networks, and a 2-year signup Is required.
Included In our build: Intel Atom processor. Windows XP Horne,
1GB RAM. 10, I-Inch screen, 160GB hard drive, webcam.
4. Lenovo IdeaPad 510-2
$439, direct (as configumd) _ www.lenovo.Com
In a hurry? Check out this 2.2-pound Lenovo. "s QuickStart feature
lets you vieW photos, listen to mUSIC, send instant messages. or
make Skype calls without waiting for the operating system to boot
up. The One Key Aescve System can also scan for viruses before
the aS loads. which could be a lifesaver. For password protection
withoul a password, you can log on via face recognitoo USing the
wtIbcam. In our standard buHd' Intel Atom processor. Windows XP
Home, 1GB RAM. 1600B hard dnve, 10.1-ln screen, and 6-cell
U-iOn battery to go longer between charges.
5. Samsung N110
$410, street _ www.samsung.com
This 2.8-pound Samsung offers a little more. The 6-cell U-ion
battery is rated for 8.5 hours of use between charges, one 01 tho
best In thIS category. The larger-then-normaJ touchpad, keyboard
that's 93 percem the size of a standard laptop's, and tapered
keys make digital Input {Ihat IS, With your digits} easier. While
some photographers might prefer a matte screen. the glossy
10.l-inch screen can proVIde better color saturallon and higher
brightness Other specs match the norm: Intel Atom processor,
Windows XP Home, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive. webcam. 0
WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO AUGUST 2009
"

18. PICNICSpread
FUN IN THE
SUNJ_SHOT
FROM UP
ABOVE
An alumnus of Harvard's architecture school, Ninety...eight percent of my shooting, I'm flying solo. I just
Alex S. MacLean ne ...--er officially studied photography, nor recently switched from a Cessna Skylane 182 to a Flight
did he ever actually practice architecture. Still, the use of Design CT. which is a light plane with an enclosed cabin.
space and land has been a consistent fascination for him in It goes as fast as myoid plane but can also fly a bit slower.
his photographic work. He's published seven books of his and it doesn't have a strut under the wing. 1b.at Illt'ans I
aerial photography, the most recent of which is Over. The can shoot with a wider-angle lens. I typically work from
American Lands.cafK a' tbe lipping Point (Abrams. 2008). 17mm to 300mm, and before I could only shoot 24mm
You can see more ofbts images at www.aleltmadean.com . without capturing part or the plane.
Q. Have you always shot from the air? Q. What are we looking at here?
A. I didn't learn how to fly until graduate school. so A. These are picnickers listening to the symphony at
up until then it was all ground photography, as I call it. Tan~lewood in Massachusetts. It's incredible to see a
PHOTOS BY ALEX S. MActEAN; INTERVIEW BY DEBB IE GROSSMAN
"

19. window, But you're in your seat there holding the
u.mera up, Everything I do is handheld-I shoot
through an open window.
Q. From inSide, how do you look down?
A. If you want to shoot straight down, you have to put
yourself into a sort o( roU position. Of course, that puts
you in an immediate tum, and you'll keep turning as )'Ou
shoot, So if you want to set something up parallel to a
road you have to anticipate your position.
Q. What camera? What lens?
A. It's interesting, because today you have all the
metadata that would tell you all that information. But
this was shot with myoid Canon EOS 1 and Fujichrorne
Velvia 50 film . I would think: most likely it was shot with
.scene like that against the green, as opposed to the usual a Canon 70-200mm f!2.SL lens. I try to shoot at 111000
~nd on a beach. It was very strilcing and very colonul. sec or faster, I don't really like shooting wide open, so
Coming across all the picnickers on the lawn was a total this was probably around £/4.
surprise. I took a circle around and knocked off some
shots. I didn't want to linger very long because I realized Q. What makes this the best of the set?
I was probahly making some noise. A.. Some of it had to do with the sharpness of the
photo. And abo just because: of the amount of
Q . Is it hard to fly and photograph picnickers-this one is shot from a little further back.
at the same time? so there are even more picnickers. It's just bigger. This
A. The plane will fly itself straight and level. and the power was picked for a book in collaboration with my French
is fi.'ted so you don't have to worry about keeping your foot editor. who is very good. Though I have to say. Vt'Orking
00 the accelerator. Your (eet are on the rudder so you can on this story, I was revisiting that question; Wh)' did 1
!.Lie them to control the yaw, and you take )'Our haods off pick this one? A lot of my photography seems to ripen in
the control yoke for just a second to u ke the pieture. the files, You come back from a shoot with preconccived
ideas about what you were trying to accomplish and it
Q. How do you secure your camera? reaUy prejudices you. When they sit in the files for six
A. It's funny. everyone pictures me hanging out the months, you gain a little bit morc perspective. 0
pop PttOTO AUGUST ~ WINW.POPPHOTO.COM

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22. YOUR BEST SHOT By Kathleen Davis

23. nd Place
...... V for Victory
""""IIIIIIII BEK BERGH, 38,
runs a media agency in
Johannesburg, South
Mrica. and frequently
photographs skateboarders.
Sam. the athlete in this
graphic image, found an
abandoned, unfinished
office huilding to skate
in, and Bergh positioned
himself one story below
Sam. They agreed Dot to
use the shot unless Sam
landed the trick correctly-
after 60 attempts, they
finally got this result, which
pleased them both.
TECH INFO: Nikon
D3 with 24-70mm fl2.8
Nikkor lens with four remote-
triggered Sunpak flashes.
Exposure, 1/250 sec at fl9,
ISO 250. Sharpening in
Nikon Capture NX.
trip to Orc:gon from his home in WWW. 5 tcphcnoacbs.com.
CDst Place San Jose. CA. "The river level was
low enough at that time of year to
TECH INFO: Tripod-mounted
Canon EOS-' D Mark III with
~ ~~~dgJ.!~~t~ the expose the 'tiles.' and the early- 24-105mm f/4L Canon lens and
morning light illuminated the fog, 3-stop SIngh-Ray graduated neutral-
journey, not the destination ~ giving the entire .K.ene a surreal denSIty litter. Exposure. 8 sec at
held true for software company feeling,6 Oaehs says. His photos 1122, ISO 100. Converted from RAW,
owner STEPHEN OACHS, 38. have previously taken prizes in with minor adjustment to white
He captured this moody image Your Best Shot in both 2007 and balance. exposure, Bnd sharpness
on the Sacramento River during a 2008. See more of his work at in Adobe Photoshop GS4.
POP PHOTO .a.uGUST 200G WWW.POPPHOTO.COM
"

24. You.ll find the Produd Services
Directory in this issue on pages
78 - 8 1
F odvellising information about
or
the Product Services Directory, ca l
CHIP PARHAM at (212) 161-5111
or smai! him: cparham@hfmus,com
• SCHOOLS & WORKSHOPS •
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Palm Beach Photographic Center
CT Media/Photography Institute
• PHOTO SUPPUES •
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Cambridge world
Focus Camero
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• PRE-OWNED EQUIPMENT •
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• BUSINESS OPPORTUNrnES •
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• PHOTO SERVICES ·
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Frederick's Photo lob
... Light at the End?
. . . . Twenty.[wo-year-old ALEX WISE. a $Oeial studies student at the
U niversity of Tasmania, travded his city's seedy underbelly to get this
shOL This rivulet under Hobart, Tasmania, i~ c.ramped. wet, completely
dark and known as a gathering place (or "people doing t hings they
should n't be doing,~ Wise says. He traveled with a (riend to help him
paint the tunnel with a flash light fo r this otherworldly image. Check out
more of his work at www.alcX....iscpbotogragby.com. TECH INFO: Tripod·
mounted Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 1Q-22mm f/3.5-4.5 Canon EF-S
leos, wrth remote trigger. Exposure, 58 sec at t/3.5, ISO 100. Minor sharpening
aoo Levels adjustment in Adobe Photoshop CS2 . 0
WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO AUGUST 2009

25. Introducing the New
Sunpak FlexPod Gripper
With M ore Features Than Any Other Flexible Tripod
Unique features, superior quality and innovatille design set the stander'd.Ttle Sunpak Gripper
has it all, making it tne best flexible tr'ipad on the market. Bend it, twist it, shape it, hang it
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• Thllmloplastic ctastomet' IegH with patent-pending aluminum core oo!1ign
• TriarlgulWld segrT1ent& with gripp;ng tooth tor mmumum gripping power
• True ball head w"<th easy to use quick-l'9le:ase plate for fa8t attacl'unent
• Self-leveling teet fDr added IlUIbility on uneven sUrfllCe5

26. Photography
2009/ 16th Annual • Readers'
PHOTO CONTEST
About
Th e 1 A nnual Popular Pho tography
6'"
Photo Contest g ives p hot ographers
th e opportunity to win prizes and have
their work recognized In the January
201 Issue of Popular Photography, the
0
largest photo magazine in the world, as
well as on our website, PopPhoto.com.
Categories
• ACTION/SPORTS • ARCHITECTURE
• CAND ID/HUMOR • PEOPLE
• NATUR E • TRAVEL/PLACES

27. Submissions
The competition IS open to work produced from
September 2008 - September 2009. All submitted
artwork should be of reproduction quality.
ENTRY FEE: $10
DEADLINE: September 12. 2009
For a complete set of contest ru les. prizes or to enter.
please v isit www.popphotocontest.com

28. NATURE
Text and photos by Bob Hills
RAW
Earth
Making art out of dirt
In the southwestern corner of
the Salt Lake Valley lic!> the world's
largest Opc!n-pil copper mine, the
Kennecott Utah Copper Mine. At 2:v.
mile~ across and % of a mile deep. it
truly is an amazing ~ight. And the area
around it is nearly as fasdnating.
J live about 20 mites from the mine,
and in November 2005 I went to the
area to see if I could find .wme old
bAms or sheds to photograph. In all of
my shots Lwas careful to not indude
mine dumps- the piles of earth ffitt
came out of t his gigantic hole. I'd always
considered the mine an engineering
wonder, but hardly an ae_~thetic one.
But that changed on a visit 14 months
later, when I began to see the dump
sites in a new way and did :.ome visual
exploring (rom a 400mm pcrspccth·c. I
was struck by the patterns of the eroded
surfaces and by the enormous piles of
earth that dwarfed the gigantic. trucks
carrying 320-ton loads.
I soon began to make a project out of
interpreting the mining operatiom in an
artistic way, u~ing the clements uf dcsign
that are a byproduct of creating the p!.anet's
richest hole. I wanted to show that this isn't
an eyesore, but a magnificent work of art.
So, for the lIext two yean I made 40 trips
to the site to photograph it under vaded
conditions. Here's how J did it.
Reach out
Though I usuaU)" enjoy shooting '.;th my
Unbof Tcchnlkardan 45s, I used a Canon
EOS 50 for this project because of the
wide choice oflenses, as well as the speed
and flexihility of such a compact (relative
to large.fomlat film) system.
I uancd with a 70-200mm fn .BL
Canon IS lens and a Canon 2X extender.
Unlike tdeconverters of the pa~t , this
setup did not compromise clarity and
sharpness. And the 400mm reach on
my full -frame DSLR provided the
pop PHOTO AUGUST 20«1
"

30. A COPPER PAYOUT ON HIGH:
~ Again, a 2X extender and a Inpod
for his Canon EOS 5D and 70-200mrn
fl2.8l Canon lens rig allOwed Hills to
capture a truck releaSing its 320--ton
payload on the waste dump all the way
from the edge 01 the IOwfl of Coppertoo.
Exposure, 1/100 sec and 1136, ISO 200.
hydrostatic nailhead since it is rated
for 22 pounds, but is still smaller
and lighter then other pro-grade
ballheads. All up, the tripod/baUhcad
combo weighs less than 8 pounds.
An ordinary conap.~iblc umbrella
abo was part of my shooting gear. In
snow and rain, it not only protected
the tripod. mounted camera, but also
prevented snowflakes from getting
too dose to the lens and blurring out
large areas of the images. I always
handheld the umbrella to keep
A DYNAMIC COMPOmTtoN: compressed perspecth"C 1 wanted. For vibration and wind movement from
'-J. A Kennecott escort anowed Hills to variety, though to a lesser extent, 1 being transferud to the camera.
enter this restricted site to photograph the a1so used my 24-105mm fl4L IS and
colorful waste debns. He hadn'l yet set up my 17-35mm fI2 .8lCanon iensell. Abslracllhoughls
a tripod when he saw the lanker passing My tripod is a Manfrotto Model Crealing abstraction!> becamc my
by, but he knew it would add int8fllS1: to 3221. topped with a Manfrotto favorite part of the project, as I came
the Image and immediately stoll'landheld. hydrostatic ballhead. The tripod is to see almost everything in tenn.s of
He used a Canon EOS 50 and 24_105mm sturdy enough for my 4,0, but small colors, contrast, shapes, lines, textures,
tl4L IS Canoo laos set to 105mm. enough to easily transport and hike and spatial relationships. The subject
EJi:posure, 1/320 sec at flS, ISO 100. "'-lth, wing a sling strap. I love the matter was secondary. udges, high
2B W'NW.POPPHOTO.COM pop PHOTO AUGUST 2O<KI

32. Public access
While the imagc~ suggest long treks
deep into the mine. that was hardly
the case. In fact, my car generally was
nearby. since for the first few months
of the project I worked strictly from
public roadsides. Eventually. I shot
from the mine's visit(){"$' center,
which overlooks the bole. NeOer did
I c.r~s the fence-line surrounding
the proper1).'. And when I showed my
images to mining company executives,
they found it hard to believe that I'd
never violated the numerous ~No
Tre5pa5Sing~ signs. That ju!>"t show~
the power of a long tele to not onlv
compress perspective, but, of cou~se,
to draw the subject much closer than
the una.ssisted eye would see.
"'hen I asked to shoot on
Kennecott's land, permission took
months to secure, and it clearly
was onc.of·a·kind access. Mtcr
watching a safety film and buying
my own hard hat and steel·toed
shoes, I was escorted to the sites.
Though the process was extremely
involved, it was well worth it, as 1
ended up providing the images for the
company's 2009 calendar.
Since my access really.",.as a om.:-
shot deal . you won't have any luck
tt}ing to replicate it. The good news
is that. with Kennecott as ",... th many
other large.scale engineering projects,
you can get great images from public
roads, no permission required.
Looking closely
And just as I found inspiration in and
around the mine, I also found iii. great
deal of wildlife in the area. In fact.
I'm impressed with how conscientiom
the owners and operators of the mine
are about environmental issues and
how much they've done to reclaim the
A MOUNTAIN· TOP VIEW: I did much of the shooting on land and protect wildlife.
L...J. Scouting around Q site helps you overcao;t days. The RAW images One day alone. I saw se....en large buU
to find new shooting venues-such 89 this were often flat and with little elk grazing in a meadow that had been
neighboring mountain View down on the color, but in postproduction. on reclaimed. and there are also large
pit. Shooting handheld allowed Hills to my Mac with Adobe Photoshop. '( herds of mule deer, ali ",·e1l as mountain
include the dynamic clouds from various expanded the contrast to a normal lions. roxes, and upland game birds.
POSItions. He used a Canon EOS 50 and range. By doing this. the color In all, it has been a rewarding project
17-35mm fl2.8l Canon lens and exposed ~turation wouJd automatically that proves by keeping your eyes and
at 1/320 sec:: and f/l0, at ISO 400. reyeal the colors inherent in the mind open, you can find beauty where
rock and soil. Sometimes I ddded you'd never expected it. 0
walls, and the overlapping lines of a little saturation beyond what was
the mine dumps. along with t~ released by the contrast bump. Bob Hills is a {lrn.:-art and commercial
ever-changing light, provided infinite Mter all, my objective was not pbotogtapber based in Sandy, lJT. He
opportunities. Eliminating the to be a documentary or scientific bas an Ma.st~ofFint Arts degree and
superfluous and concentrating on photographer, but to give a plea.'1ing 40 ytaJ3 txperitncc. Su more of his
strong abstractions became my focus. artistic interpretation. work at ~,kQ./zbills,cpm.
WMV.POPPHOTO.COM pop PHOTO AUGUST 2009

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34. LIGHTING
SHINING . . . . .
Glittering jewelry needs a says Gong. "For this one, I was ~The scheme grew in an organic way
bright. hard light to spark its inspired by the mirror halls you as the shoot progressed," Gong says.
brilliance, but when it's modeled on typically see in clubs. I was curious to "We started with a simple one-light
a person, hling also requires a subtle discover what sort of lighting pattern setup, and just added and moved
interplay of highlight and shadow to I could create using their unique lights around until it looked right. ~
create shape, depth, and drama, The refiectiYe properties, H 'Inc shoot took more than five
smaller the piece, the more precisely Turns out, the mirror ball's intricate hours---cspccially grueling for the
controlled this interplay must be. dappling of shadow and highlight hand model, who spent extended
Photographer Mark Gong was faced proved perfect for this subject, periods seated on the floor with her
with just such a challenge when he Gong wanted a controUed hands held overhead.
illustrated a New York TImes article envirorunent and precise lighting, so For the setup here, Gong used
about stackablc rings. The lighting he shot in a ~mall, dark ~tudio, where three Profoto Acute D4 flash heads
tool he selected probably wasn't one it was relatively easy to reach out and ($800 each, street), all placed behind
you've used-off the dance floor, adjust the position of the mirror ball his hand model.
"Playing around and trying new or the model's hands. For light modifiers, he needed the
things is always the most interesting The lighting he used here precision of strip lights rather than
and fun part of a shoot for me," represented the third of four setups. the broad throw of square softboxes.
WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO AUGUST 2009

35. LORD OF THE RINGS:
MarK Gong backlit his
model's ringed lingers
with a Profata Acute2A
1200 pack (A) that powered
twa D4 heads in Proloto
slriplighl soflooxes (8).
He produced tho halo-like
effect on the background
with a Profeta AcuteB 600R
pack and D4 head Ie). So
that he could move freely
betwoon lho camera and model
without tripping over a PC cord,
Gong triggered the strobes
with PocketWizard's Plus II
wireless transceiver (D).
The hardest part of lighting his
rings? "It was positioning the mirror
halo-like glow. The photographer ball and hands to correctly catch the
juiced the strips with a single Profoto light," he responds. ';1 took a ~crics of
Acute2R 1200 power pack ($1,780, images while moving the mirror ball
street) and the background light with back and forth to see which position
a Profoto AcuteB 600R pack (52,600, illuminated the rings best . If 1 had to
street). "I like the Profoto Mutes for do it over again, I would use a larger
their countless light modifiers, spot- mirror ball , or maybe a second one,
on color temperature, and exposure with a fourth 04 dedicated just to it.
consistency," he says. It would save time and create more
As. is common with pros, most specks of light. I'd also use egg-crate
of the equipment Gong used was baffles over the strip lights to cut
so Gong mounted nvo of the 1.)45 in borrowed or ri:nted. Even his Nikon down on spill and glare from the
narrow 1x4-foot Profoto Striptight 0700 with 105mm £'2 AF DC rimlights. lbe edges of the fingers
Softooxes ($397, street). He placed Nikkor lens was on loan from Nikon. ~how a little too much flare."
them to the side, aiming them forward To lire the lights wireless!y, Gong And, no, vou won't find a mirror hall
to rimlight the back of the model's used a shoe-mount Pockct"Wizard at your toea'! camera store. "J found
hands and strike the mirror ball. Plus II transceiver ($160), which mine at a plastics store in downtown
For an extra spark, he removed automatically triggered the power New York City," said Gong. "But you
each striplight's front diffusion pand packs' built-in PockctWizard receivers. can also find them on Amazon and
and inner baffle to expose the strips' "1 like moving to fmd new anglcs- eBay. They range from $20 to 5200,
foil·lined interiors. The result was a sometimes on a tripod, sometimes depending on si;r;e and material, and I
harder light with a metallic edginess. not- and without PocketVt'izards , the paid about $30 for my 12-incher," 0 ri'
The third 04, '>'ith grid, vas set low
behind the model and aimed toward
the backdrop, where it produced a
PC cords can trip me up, " he says. "1
also get frustrated when the cord pops
out of a camera's PC socket."
To sce mort of Mark Gongs work,
~,maTkmi'On~,f()m.
i
POP PHOTO AUGUST 2009 'NWW.POPPHOTO.COM

36. DIGITAL TOOLBOX "ORIGINAL
BACK BASICS
ELEMENTS EXPLAINED
Last month we showed you and, in some specific areas, THERE WAS A DUST
how to usc Adobe Photoshop too little contrast.
Elements to improve an
image by cropping, fixing
fI spot on this sensor, and
unfortunately it landed
right on top of the litde girl's lip.
FIXING THIS IMAGE To get rid of thi.s blip, zoom in.
contrast, and improving
color. Once you've taken
1 requires working with layers. Type the J key to get the Spot
The fin'! is always called Healing Brush. Tap the left bracket
those first steps, it's time to the Background Layer. Duplicate it key ([) on your keyboard to shrink
try some more sophisticated so you can always go back to where your brush circle, and the right
you began. Go to Layer> Duplicate bracket key (]) if YOLI need to make it
tools. This time, we'll fix an Layer, and click OK. If your image bigger. ¥hen your brush is the right
image that has sensor-dust is 16--bit, convert it down to 8-bit to size, dick on the spot you want to
spots, washed-out highlights, work with Layers in Elements. remove and watch it disappear.
WWW.POPPHOTO.COM P OP PHOTO AUGUST 2009

37. • .."I.R By Debbie Grossman
--.--
POP PHOTO AuGUST 2009 WWW. PO~OTO. COM

38. DIGITAL TOOLBOX
NOW TYPE CTRL + 0 to sec your ",lIole
3 image fit on your screen. Since you want to retain
the work you did on this layer but don't want to
be wedded to your next fix, duplicate your Background
Copy layer using the same method as in Step 1. Then go
to Enhance.,. Adjw;t Lighting> ShadowsIHighlights.
SHADOW/HIGHLIGHT DEFAULTS to.
4 25% lightening of the shadows. Override this by
dialing the Shadow slider down to 0%, and move
the Darken Highlights slider to the right unlilthe blue of
the sky deepens. Then adjust the shadows by moving the
Shadows slider rightward until you get a hint of brightness.
Be''ate: Moving both sliders too far creates ugly haloes
around subjects. Click OK when you like what you see.
MORE BRIGHTNESS .nJ
5 contrast on the child's face will
help draw attention. Start by
making a Levels Adjustment Layer:
Go to Layer ,. Ne-n.' Adjustment Layer
,. Levels, and dick OK, Adjustment
Layers affect all the layers below, and
you can return to tweak them later. They
are also the only way in Elements to use
Masks, which allow you to fix just part of your image.
El
IN THE LEVELS DIALOGUE. m=e the
• black and white triangles until the girl's face
looks brighter and a little more contrasty. Don't
worry if the rest of the photo doc.sn't look so good-we'll
get to that soon. Then click OK.
THE WHITE RECTANGLE in your Adjustment
7 Layer is your Mask (circled). Elements selects it
for you. Type D, then Ctrl + Backspace, fiIHng it
with black. Now type B to get the Brush tool, and paint
with white on the girl's face. That will reveal the brightness
and contrast changes you made in your Adjustment Layer,
If you reveal too much, paint 'with black to cover it up. 0
WWN.POPPHOTO.COM pop PHOTO AUGUST 2009

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40. -THE PROBLEM _THE SOLUTION
Everything's too sharp OnOne FocalPoint
Shallow d epth of field and easily tweak Ihe work you've done.
selective focus are great lools to direct To determine how much and what
the eye. but you can't always get those exactly will rernrun sharp, FocalPoint
effects while you're shooting, Maybe utilizes somelhing the company calls
there's too much light for a wide-open a · focus bug," Place the bug on your
aperture, your lens is slow, Or' you don'l image, then manipulate its legs to select
have a specially lens such as a tilt/shift the Qre3 to keep crisp.
or a leflsbaby. Or perhaps you only Chocsa a round bug for ellipses of
brought a pOint-and-shoot. Whatever sharpness or a square bug fOf planar
the cause, you end up with a middling hnes of focus that intersect with the
picture where everything Is in focus, edges 01 the frame . You can also tilt
and the viewer has no clue whal your Ihe plane 01 focus 10 line it up with the
real subject is. camera's perspective.
To get the image you want, you Fine·tune your Image with conlrols
could fuss with alpha channels and for lhe amounl of smooth blur or motion
.... With CIRCULAR PL Filter
Gaussian blur in Adobe Photoshop. Or blur, and add a vignette 10 more strongly
you could do it more easily with a plug- direct the viewer's eye. Before you
in. OnOne's FocalPoint ($135, street; (eave the plug-in's interface to return to
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42. .Before AfterT
I ZIG-ZAG STREAKS
I Mat Hayward
South Everett, WA
The problem: Just when we
thought there was no new take
on the squiggly portion of San
Francisco's (othenvise vel)' straight)
l.ombard Street, Mat Hayward
sent U~ this clever time exposure, in
which the streak of the lit sign on
top of a taxi outlines the sinuous
switchbacks. A small aperture
produced the diffraction stars.
We felt , however, that with some
more detail in the buildings and the
street. we'd gain a better sense of
the place. We also thought that the
areas of black sky at the top and .It
right of the frame were dead space. highlights the same. We cropped f/2.8L II Canon EF lens. Shutter
Nor did the composition need quite evel)"",iu:re except the bottom. held open for the duration of taxi
that muc.h of the g.lrage doors. descent (87 sec) at fl12, ISO 100.
Next time: There's more in the Camer.:a fired hy PockefWiurd
What now: There was plenty of picture than the streaking light, !i0 remote trigger to avoid camera
shadow information, even in the dig out the buried treasure. shake. Various adjustments made in
JPEG, so we pulled up detail there Adobe Lightroom and Photos hop
using Curves in Adobe Photoshop Tech info: Tripud-stcadir...-d Canon CS2. Check out Mat's website at
CS4, but did our best to keep the EOS-ID Mark III with 16-35mm www.mathaywardphoto.com.
WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO AUGUST 2009
"

43. I STRAIGHT STREAK
I Jacob Tebbe
Toledo,OH
The problem: A very different
take on streaming lights, this photo
of car headlights on an otherwise ljhis is ~OU r.
empty road has an ominous
quality-we think that it looks
like a poster (or iii creepy movie. ttcd'itri III tI
As with OUf other pick. though,
there is considerable wasted space,
software
particularly at the right of the
frame. where nothing is happening.
This is DFX.
And the fix Team had iii bone to
pick with the telephone poles and
buildings, which bow inward due
to perspective distortion. (Not that
we're compulsive or anything.)
What now: We cropped in
considerably from the right side.
making the headlight streaks
more dominant in the frame.
We also cropped down from the 2000 high
top to maintain about the same performance
aspect ratio, rather than creating a
squarish shape. We were careful not
filters and
to crop out any of the bottom. as we special effects.
think the ilIwninated tar strips add
to the visual interest. We darkened
the sky a bit to add to the unsettling Download a free
atmosphere. Finally. we used the
Len.~ Correction filter in photos hop
15 day trial
,
Sfandalone Editing Suite
CS4 to straighten out the telephone (Macintosh- and Wlndows- )
@TiffenDfx.com
poles. which al~ corrected the
and Plug-In Filters for:
shape o( the buildings.
Next time: Beware dark space "
that adds no interest to the photo.
Tech info: Tripod-steadied 'Apple Aperture™
,
Nikun D60 with 18-55mm
'-800-645-2522 '
'Apple Final Cut Pro.
£/3.5-5.6 OX Nikkor len~.
Ex.:po.)ure, 30 sec at (/13. ISO 'Adobe After Effects.
800. Color corrections in Adobe 'Avld" Editing Systems
Photoshop Elements 6 . 0 The Difference;s "FEN
POP PHOTO AUOUST 2009 o 200' Tht Tlfftn (omFI"~. All rl.hb rutrvcd.
All rrglstr'N tr, dtml,kllrr owntd by their respullu (olllPlnlu