N-Photo: the Nikon magazine April 2021

Louise Carey PAGE 6 Can’t find any models to photograph during lockdown? Louise suggests that the only thing for it is to shoot yourself… Ross Hoddinott PAGE 26 Spring is upon us! Ross shows how to shoot all the season has to offer, from blooming flowers to April showers… Claire Thomas PAGE 62 Documentary photographer Claire reports from the front lines and field hospitals of the world’s most troubled regions. García de Marina PAGE 70 Artist García uses the medium of photography to juxtapose his subjects in surprising ways that are sure to get you thinking. Neil Freeman PAGE 80 No one knows the Nikon system better than Nikon School head honcho Neil. He explains all about autofocus in Nikopedia. Matthew Richards PAGE 104 Matthew looks to the stars – with the aid of eight great fast and wide lenses ideal for astrophotography – in this issue’s…

The days are getting that little bit longer, the weather that little bit more clement… spring has most definitely sprung! The months ahead promise a plethora of opportunities to get outdoors with your Nikon, aided by the expectation of lockdown easing, and with that in mind Ross Hoddinott shares his top spring nature shooting advice in our lead feature. Of course, this issue has been put together under firm pandemic restrictions, so our Apprentice is a little different: Instagrammer Louise Carey goes solo to show how you can take terrific self-portraits with a few outfit changes, props, a tripod and the self-timer mode. We’re also delighted to announce the return of our sorely missed Nikopedia section, where you’ll learn everything there is to know about autofocus. We also explain how to use…

THE PRO NAME: Louise Carey CAMERA: Nikon Z 50 Bath-based Louise has a background in photography magazine publishing and is currently e-commerce editor for the Digital Camera World website. She’s always been interested in portrait photography, but developed a specific interest in self-portraits when creating her Instagram @fablesandlouise. She has run photography workshops in the past, but due to lockdown restrictions has decided to coach you, the reader, in N-Photo’s very first virtual Apprentice. Portraiture can be rather inaccessible at times. Plenty of genres can be solitary pursuits – just you and the camera – but portraits require a human subject. If you don’t know any willing sitters, hiring a model or sourcing street portraits can be daunting, particularly if you’re not yet a confident photographer. Even if portraits are your thing, social distancing…

Creation ROBIN WILLIAMS For the competition’s overall winning image, Robin captured this macro shot of the golden reproductive parts of a white lotus flower head – which was ready for pollination; this plant can use thermoregulation – to self-heat the flowers to aid in fertilization. The sacred lotus is a rhizomatous aquatic perennial and is a ‘living fossil’ dating to pre-history. Camera: Nikon D850 Lens: 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 Exposure: 1/500 sec, f/16, ISO800 Rainbows ALBERT CEOLAN Albert photographed these two rainbows in San Pellegrino, Trentino, Italy, which had appeared as colourful rays of hope emerging from the treeline. These contrast delightfully with the dark, moody clouds that ominously coat the skyline of the Italian wilderness. Camera: Nikon D3 Lens: 28-70mm f/2.8 Exposure: 1/125 sec, f/10, ISO200 Summer in The Dolomites LUKA ESENKO Ortisei, in South Tyrol, Italy, is the chief village of the Val Gardena…

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Ross is a multi-award-winning professional photographer with a lifelong love of nature and the outdoors. He’s a Manfrotto Ambassador, LEE Master and Nikon Alumni, and is also the author of eight books www.rosshoddinott.co.uk We’ve now had over a year of lockdowns, tiers, bubbles and restrictions. This has been a challenging and unsettling time. Not only has our health, stability, finances and freedom been affected, but our photography has, naturally, suffered too. Photo trips, adventures and projects have been put on the back-burner, and winter weather has confined us even further. But it is time to put the spring back into your step. The days are noticeably drawing out and the temperature is rising. Our countryside, woodland and gardens are looking vibrant and resplendent. Spring has officially sprung! This is the season of renewal…