May 2008

Beginner's Guide: Shooting Raw
Regardless of whether you shoot portraits, landscapes, nature or any other subject for that matter, there are benefits to be gained by setting your DSLR to shoot in Raw rather than JPEG. As this Beginner’s Guide sets out to prove, changing the file format from JPEG to Raw is a relatively simple step that can help you make major improvements to the quality of the images you shoot. It’s a topic that could fill a book, but here we’ll cover the essential facts that you’ll need to know to help you take your photography further

Digital Convert: Peter Adams
Celebrated travel photographer Peter Adams has visited every continent on Earth, and nearly one hundred countries. His graphic images have made him favourite in countless photographic competitions. Our man Matt Henry catches him just before he jets off to China on his latest journey

Make Something of it! An egg!
Is the bad weather getting you down? Are you struggling for photographic ideas and inspiration? Then why not try to make something of an everyday object? Each month, we challenge some contributors to do just that – to take an ordinary image and try to create an extraordinary image using it. Why? Well, we want to show you that it’s possible to produce a great shot of literally any subject, and hope our efforts will open your mind to the photographic possibilities that await if you stretch your creative skills to the limit. This month’s subject was an egg! Ask yourself, what would you have done?

Photo Adventures: India
India still remains one of the toughest tourist destinations in the world but its many challenges also make it one of the most vibrant and interesting places on the map. Matt Henry talks to Brett Harkness about his recent Photo Adventure to Varanasi and India’s celebrated River Ganges

5-Minute Photoshop: Raw Exposures
Setting your DSLR to shoot in Raw means you’re able to recover hidden detail from areas of the scene that are overexposed, such as bright sky. Photoshop expert Luke Marsh shows how to use the Photoshop Elements Raw converter to create two exposures from the same Raw file and combine them for the perfect result

Win Canon Digital kit worth £10,000!
Photo Excellence Awards 2008.
Win Canon Digital kit worth £10,000 and achieve a certificate in digital SLR photography! This is your chance to win great prizes and also gain a certificate in digital SLR photography in our major reader photo competition! You’ve really got to get your creative thinking caps on for this month’s round: Abstracts. Abstract photography is ideally suited to photographers with creative juices flowing through their veins, as there are no ‘rules’ to follow. It’s time to show us just how imaginative you are!

Main DSLR test: Nikon D60 & Sony Alpha 350
We’ve a double bill this month as we take a look at two new models that promise lots of features and extra value for money. At £500 with 18-55mm zoom, the Nikon D60 is the cheaper of the two and is aimed at DSLR beginners, while the Sony, which has a guide price of £570 with 18-70mm lens, boasts a higher resolution. As Daniel Lezano discovers, both offer much for the money