N-Photo: the Nikon magazine

April Alexander PAGE 6 This issue’s apprentice heads to the studio to shoot fashion portraits under the guidance of Nikon Creator April. Nigel Forster PAGE 26 Follow Nigel’s handpicked tips and shoot your best-ever landscapes, from mountain peaks to coastal scenes. Tom Mackie PAGE 38 Tom heads to the Portuguese coast to capture the landscape secrets that are revealed when the tide goes out. Richard Shucksmith PAGE 60 Shetland-based wildlife photographer Richard talks sub-aqua shoots, camera traps, and filming the BBC’s Wild Isles. Abby Marasigan PAGE 68 Abby tells how she forever captures the connection between couples in her ‘adventure sessions’. Leslie Cieplechowicz PAGE 86 Paramedic Leslie is never without her camera to document the streets and cityscapes of her hometown Detroit, day and night.…

With temperatures rising, days lengthening and foliage blooming, it’s a great time of year to get out and about with your Nikon. So this issue we’ve got a landscape masterclass from pro photographer Nigel Forster, who reveals 25 tips for shooting mountains, coast, woodlands, waterfalls, lakes and rural scenes. So wherever you are, there’s a photo op near you. But if you prefer the comfort of the studio, why not join this issue’s apprentice as he learns to shoot fashion portraits with a professional model under the expert tuition of Nikon Creator April Alexander. We put no less than eight macro lenses to the test, and with a wide range of options to choose from, for DSLRs and mirrorless, full-frame and crop-sensor, and ultra-macro models that stretch to an astonishing 2x magnification,…

THE PRO NAME: April Alexander CAMERA: Nikon Z 7II April’s (@byaprilalexander) creative CV knows no bounds. She’s a commercial and fashion photographer, model, mother agent and brand content producer. It’s not surprising, then, that she’s been recognized by the ‘Big N’ as a Nikon Europe Creator. She caught the photography bug during a trip to Cape Town, but has been around cameras and studios for over a decade as a model/muse. Her experience in front of the camera allows her to operate with a unique perspective, something Lawrence will surely benefit from: www.aprilalexander.co.uk THE APPRENTICE NAME: Lawrence Butler Perks CAMERA: Nikon Z 6II Epsom-based project manager Lawrence (@photo_lbp), obviously knew mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras were the future because his first camera was from the short-lived Nikon 1 system. He then moved onto a Nikon D3200, before biting the…

1 BASE SETTINGS April says… I use Manual mode. In the studio, my shutter speed is around 1/125 or 1/200 sec to suit my Z 7II’s sync speed. I won’t exceed ISO400 unless I’m shooting in natural light. I like a creamy, shallow DoF, so my aperture is around f/1.4 to f/2.8 or f/5.6 for 3/4 or full-length images. 2 HOTTER OR COLDER April says… If you’re shooting Raw (you should be!), you can tweak your white balance in post, but I like to get it right in-camera by adjusting it manually. I tend to start at 5000 kelvins, take a test shot and increase or decrease the value, depending on whether I want it cooler or warmer. 3 SEEING IN THE DARK April says… While the EVF’s ability to preview what you’re about to…

1 GET CONNECTED April says…I use the TetherTools TetherPro USB-C to USB-C 15ft cable – a wired connection has never let me down – to tether my Z 7II via Capture One for iPad (apple.co/3A4wlgw). Not all Nikons and lenses are compatible, but you can check your setup here: bit.ly/3UI7JUf. 2 AUTO APPLY EDITS April says…Tethered images are stored in a folder called All Captures. I find a function called Next Capture Adjustments particularly useful. This automatically assigns your choice of base edits to every image captured, so you can instantly preview their potential when edited, on the fly, in the studio. 3 SUPER SPEEDY EDITS April says…Tethering allows me to quickly edit manually in the studio, too. I’d never do a full edit, but it occasionally comes in handy. Here, I demonstrated to Lawrence…

ANTONIA AND HUO This image was featured in Glamour SA. I used DIY tubes and cheap material to create my own scrim. A light and umbrella was bounced off a white wall and through the scrim. Soft, simple and effective! AU NATUREL Kane Barnett was lit only with natural light. I diffused the window light and bounced it onto the front of the model’s face. In the edit I curated gorgeous, deep brown tones, which is my signature look. SUNSET BEACH This image of Ang Nicole Mahoro was captured last year on the deserted Noordhoek Beach, Cape Town. It was shot at sunset. No modifiers were used, just great, gorgeous, natural light.…