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Flat Lay Photography

Photography has played an immense role in the continual growth of social media over the years, and flat lay photography is a style used by many. From bloggers, chefs, graphic designers and of course photographers! You will often see flat lay photos on blogs, websites and Instagram. It’s a great way to share a personal story through objects and is known for gaining great interaction with viewers. The key things to consider Here are the three main things you should consider when shooting a flat lay photograph. If you follow these steps, you will be on your way to creating some amazing shots. Composition The composition is an essential part of any flat lay photograph. It is the composition that will draw the viewer’s eye into the photo, and it is up to you to bring them into the main focal point. This would be your main product/item, most often known as the hero piece. As a good starting point, placing the hero piece in the centre of your frame is an easy way to start building your scene. From here, you can start to add or remove items to see what works best. Remember to take a step back […]
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Plant Macro Photography

Macro photography of flowers can be done both inside and outside. There are so many opportunities to open up a whole new world of photography and to give you a new way of visualising the world to improve your composition. Plant Macro photography can be shot with either a tripod or handheld, it’s your choice, however, you should get much sharper images if you do use a tripod. You can use any lens that allows you to close-focus, but to get the best results something like the Nikkor 40mm or 85mm DX microlenses or the for full-frame cameras the Nikkor 60 or 105mm microlenses would be perfect. Handheld Macro Photography If you are shooting handheld, make sure your shutter speed is high enough to ensure a sharp image. This will vary between cameras and lenses but a good shutter speed to aim for would be a minimum of 1/125th or ideally around 1/250th if your subject is not moving. If your lens has a Vibration Reduction (VR) I would suggest setting that to ON. Set your ISO to the lowest native ISO on your camera either 64, 100 or 200 and then turn on Auto ISO. You can use either P […]
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Evelyn Gibson re-elected on PSSA Board

Long time Nikon shooter and professional photographer, Evelyn Gibson, has been re-elected onto the board of the PSSA, and we at Nikon would like to congratulate Evelyn on this honour. The Photographic Society of South Africa is the officially recognised Body representing photographers in Southern Africa. It is the South African equivalent of the Photographic Society of America to whom it is affiliated. PSSA is an autonomous Society and through its affiliations affords members contact with the international affairs of photography. More info here: www.pssa.co.za We asked Evelyn a few questions about her photography career and involvement with the PSSA. How did you get involved with photography and then with the PSSA? I got involved with photography when I retired from business in 1999.   My husband gave me a Film Camera for my Christmas as I was always a relatively good point and shoot photographer, I think I took after my father who had his own darkroom etc. and was a very good black and white photographer.I decided to study Photography which I did for two years at the Open Window Academy obtaining a distinction for my Portfolio.    I am so glad that I did that as I studied in […]
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REACH A WHOLE NEW RANGE OF EXPRESSION WITH THE NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S

Rediscover the powerful ultra wide-angle zoom lens that completes the NIKKOR Z S-Line f/2.8 range JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – Renew your appreciation for familiar cityscapes, landscapes and starscapes with an ultra wide-angle zoom lens that delivers imagery with the best image quality. Nikon in South Africa announces the NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S, the latest addition to the extensive NIKKOR Z lens line-up. The new lens is the world’s shortest and lightest1 ultra wide-angle f/2.8 lens, only possible with the Z mount system. This versatile zoom lens brings about incredible optical capabilities that allow professionals to be able to reach a whole new range of expression with ultimate sharpness and clarity. “The NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S is a great addition to a professional’s camera kit as it is a versatile and lightweight lens. Capture beautiful stories in a new dimension as the lens enables a greater power of expression, maximising the ability to express yourself with a wide range of coverage from the super wide-angle of 14mm to 24mm, and delivers the same superior rendering performance in both stills and videos,” said Grant Norton, CEO of Premium Brand Distributors for Nikon in South Africa. NIKKOR Z 14-24MM F/2.8 S […]
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INDULGE IN THE FINE DETAILS WITH THE NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S

Bring your creativity to life with three-dimensional expression and gorgeous bokeh realised by the powerful S-Line optical performance JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – When it comes to fashion photography, weddings or portraiture, there is nothing more important than capturing real, decisive and specific moments all up to its finest details. Nikon in South Africa has announced the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S, a high performance and fast autofocus (AF) prime lens for both still-image and video recording. Go further in the pursuit thanks to the advanced optical performance of the S-Line as it demonstrates precise ability to express the textures in skin and hair, and the detail in clothing and make-up while utilising pleasing bokeh to always put your model’s best face forward. “It is often the little details that stand out the most. With the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S, this powerful lens not only delivers incredible sharpness all the way from maximum aperture but also allows you to achieve three-dimensional expression with its smooth and beautiful bokeh,”  said Grant Norton, CEO of Premium Brand Distributors for Nikon in South Africa. NIKKOR Z 50MM F/1.2 S PRIMARY FEATURES AMPLIFY YOUR CREATIVITY Let your subject take centre stage with the NIKKOR […]
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EISA Awards 2020-2021

Four Nikon products, including the Nikon D780 DSLR camera and Nikon Z 50 mirrorless camera, honoured with EISA Awards The latest Nikon cameras and NIKKOR lenses receive accolades from the Expert Imaging and Sound Association Johannesburg – South Africa, Nikon in South Africa is pleased to share that four of Nikon’s recent imaging products have been awarded at the EISA Awards 2020-2021. The D780 won the Full-Frame Camera award, while the Z 50 mirrorless camera received the Best Buy Camera award. NIKKOR lenses were also winners with the AF-S NIKKOR 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR telephoto zoom lens receiving the Professional Telephoto Zoom Lens award, while the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S was given the Portrait Lens award. EISA comments on the reasons the Nikon D780 was selected to receive the EISA Full-Frame Camera 2020-2021 Nikon’s D780 is a full-frame DSLR with a 24.5-million-pixel backside illumination CMOS sensor. Combined with the fast EXPEED 6 image processor, this delivers native sensitivities up to ISO 51,200, opening up more possibilities for creative photography. Its tilting LCD touchscreen helps photographers and video operators get the shot they want, even from high or low angles. This successor to the Nikon D750 brings a […]
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EXPAND YOUR CREATIVE PLAYGROUND WITH THE NEW NIKON Z 5 MIRRORLESS CAMERA

Nikon launches the Nikon Z 5, the perfect companion for creators ready to step up their photography and videography game JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – Creativity is a muscle, the more you exercise and express your creativity, the more it develops. With that in mind, Nikon in South Africa has launched the Nikon Z 5 for creators who seek to push their creative boundaries in photography and videography. Aspiring creators would be glad to know that this new mirrorless camera is just the extension they need to fulfil your pursuit for creativity. Showcase your works in both stills and movies more impressively, build up your aspiration and explore unconventional terrains with the Nikon Z 5. From the superb depiction of details to great low-light shooting capability, as well as its flexibility in bokeh expression, fast-focusing reaction and compact portability; new and existing users alike will appreciate the camera’s superior capabilities to capture their stories and creations. “Whether you’re a creator that’s just starting out or seeking an upgrade to pursue your creative vision, this full-frame format mirrorless camera will be the perfect companion for self-expression. The Nikon Z 5 features outstanding expressive imaging performance and reliability without any compromise and at […]
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Abstract Macro Photography Tips

Are you ready to put your creative skills to the test? Join travel and adventure photographer Alex Stead as he explores the challenging theme of macro photography for the first time. Using simple techniques and light, he experiments at home with the effects of immersing paints into water – creating mind-blowing results that everyone can achieve with a simple setup at home. Setup For the setup I placed the camera on a tripod and used an old fish tank – however other objects that are similar to this (such as flat sides, no distortion in the glass or scratches, which could affect focusing) would work best. The most important thing to keep in mind is trying to get as much light in, to ensure you can keep a higher shutter speed and aperture. I used some professional lights that I have, but any light source will help, including natural light. You just need to be careful to try to get the light as even as possible to avoid unwanted shadows. I spent my time looking at how acrylic paints disperse in the water – I wanted to capture the interesting shapes that are created. I pre-diluted the acrylics beforehand with […]
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Using Your Nikon Camera as a Pro Webcam

Using your Nikon Camera as a Webcam If you want to achieve a more professional look to your video conference, it is possible to use your Nikon DSLR or Mirrorless camera to improve the overall quality of the video that you broadcast. This also applies if you are looking to get better quality if you are streaming video as well. Getting this professional quality broadcast look is not as difficult as you think, you will need to get: a USB Cable and HDMI Cable which are suitable for your camera and computer, a video capture device and depending on how long you wish to broadcast or stream for, maybe a mains adaptor to power the camera. When this is all connected the video output from the camera is handled on the computer by broadcast software applications such as OBS, Ecamm or Xsplit, to name a few. This video output from the broadcast software is what you would now use for the webcam or streaming video footage. So how do we go about setting this up? The first step is to decide what quality of video capture you want. Nikon cameras can output in 1080p or 4K depending on the camera […]
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Gear Hacks

Gear Hacking is the concept of making your own DIY versions of whatever equipment you need. It is really useful when I need to manipulate light make with shapers or modifiers and don’t have my usual softboxes with me. I will be showing you how to achieve some professional-level lighting effects with everyday items you may have in your home. These effects can be used for either a home studio setup or for shooting outside in your garden. They are gear hacks that will let you shoot creatively and quite literally create your own light wherever you are. Gear hacking your own lighting equipment is not only great fun, but it’s also inexpensive and makes a good project when you have time on your hands. These hacks are easy to make and put together with almost zero craft skills required. If you happen to have craft skills, your finished products might look better than mine! Ultimately, though my gear hacked products might not look great, they modify, shape and diffuse light which allows me to produce the results I’m looking for. At Nikon School in London, we have some excellent professional softboxes, lighting stands and accessories for modifying and shaping […]
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