This issue’s special contributors…

Carol Sharp PAGE 6 Carol gives our apprentice

Welcome to issue 151

Incredible landscapes from some of the finest Nikon

Best buds

Our apprentice sprouts new photo skills with the help of fine-art pro Carol Sharp

Wildlife photography

With testing and unpredictable subjects, taking great shots of wild animals is one of the most demanding genres of photography of all. Tom Mason shows you how to master wildlife images

Sometimes you need a thicker skin

Criticism comes with the job, but what happens when a negative comment hits a nerve and how do we avoid crumbling at the scathing feedback?

Capture confetti

Wedding photographer Ben Davis shows the timing and technique for taking perfect confetti photos

Jammy dodger

Mike Harris uses an Apple Pencil and Affinity Photo 2 for iPad to draw smooth strokes

Rev it up

Amanda Leeming reveals how to shoot high-octane images of superbikes

Vintage effects on a plate

James Paterson creates the look of a 19th-century wet plate in Affinity Photo with editing tricks and our free borders

Hand-tint old photos

Learn how to perfect Colorize, this spookily good Photoshop filter, with James Paterson

Urban abstracts

James Paterson transforms everyday street scenes into evocative art with simple skills

Shake it up

USE INTENTIONAL CAMERA MOVEMENT TO CAPTURE STREETS WITH STRIKING BLUR

Abstract camera skills

1 Camera movements There’s beauty everywhere, if you

Edit your abstracts

BOOST YOUR URBAN ABSTRACTS WITH SIMPLE PHOTOSHOP TRICKS

Building composites

PHOTOSHOP SELECTIONS AND LAYERS CAN MASH UP CITY SKYLINES

Rachel Bigsby

Among the growing number of emerging female wildlife photographers, Rachel Bigsby is one who has enjoyed a rapid ascent in recent years. With prestigious awards and TV credits stacking up, she tells Keith Wilson about the reasons behind her success and her high hopes for the future…

Wild individuals

Wildlife pro Matthew Williams-Ellis heads to Kenya’s Maasai Mara to capture the character of some of Africa’s most magnificent creatures

Video mode for beginners

We explain how your Nikon’s video mode works, what you need to do to get the best from it and bust all of that fancy filmmaking jargon in the process

Video features on your Nikon

Key adaptations that make modern Nikons so good for shooting video

How to get set up for movies

Your Nikon DSLR’s movie controls are straightforward – here’s how they work

On-screen settings

Video settings are different to stills – here’s what to look for

Step by step How to set up a shot

The expert guide to setting up your Nikon DSLR or mirrorless for capturing quality video

Nikon cameras with movie modes

Think in shots

Your finished movie will be a collection of clips

Ask Matthew...

Our resident Nikon expert Matthew Richards answers your questions and solves your problems. If you have a Nikon-related question, email it to mail@nphotomag.com

Secondhand superstar

Q What inexpensive, used telephoto lens would you

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2023

The search for the world’s best Nikon photographer of 2023 continues! Each issue, the monthly N-Photo POTY 2023 photo contest’s top 10 images are selected by the N-Photo team. This issue’s competition has the theme of architectural photography…

WIN! A Nikon Z9

The overall winner of N-Photo’s Photographer of the Year 2023 will receive the grand prize of a Nikon Z 9!

Readers’ letters

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the

Table manners

Max Pickering takes a break from chasing kingfishers and explains how you can capture incredible bird photos in your own garden

Nikon Z 8

£3999/$3999 (body only) What do you get if you cross the much-loved D850 DSLR with Nikon’s top-of-the-line flagship mirrorless Z 9? Read on and find out!

Q&A with Keiji Oishi

Nikon’s Manager of User Experience Planning, Keiji Oishi, speaks exclusively to N-Photo about the Z 8 and the future direction of Nikon…

Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S

£2999/$2797 The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S is a practically perfect portrait lens in every possible way. Sometimes bigger really is better…

Travel tripods

Some of the latest travel tripods are incredibly compact and lightweight, all without compromising too much in operating height and load rating. Here are the best buys we found…

Benro Slim Travel

£110/$128 Slim by name and nature, it’s a smart buy for an ultra-light carbon fibre kit and remarkably inexpensive at the price

How we test

From small to tall, we check out the full range of features

Manfrotto Befree 2N1

£159/$241 It’s the less pricey option of the two Manfrotto tripods on test and features a removable leg for monopod duty

Material gains

It worth paying the extra for carbon fibre?

Kenro Karoo Ultimate Travel

£165/$210 Unique in this group of travel tripods, the Kenro Karoo has a pivoting centre column that can act as a horizontal boom

In the swing

Most lightweight tripods owe something to Leonardo da Vinci

Benro Rhino 05C VX20

£179/$315 One of Benro’s more recent travel tripod designs, the Rhino is a compact but sturdy and dependable carbon fibre kit

In the swing

Multi-angle legs can be a help on troublesome terrain

Vanguard VEO 3GO 235CB

£199/$189 The latest incarnation of the VEO 3GO is a remarkably compact yet capable tripod that’s ideally suited to the selfie generation

Mind your head

When choosing a tripod, it’s not just about the legs

Manfrotto Befree 3-Way Live Advanced

£229/$249 And now for something rather different, from Manfrotto’s Befree Advanced line-up. It’s a travel tripod with a 3-way head

The lowdown

How low can you go when shooting with a tripod?

Peak Design Travel Tripod

£359/$379 A highly innovative travel tripod that’s available in both aluminium and carbon fibre editions, it looks and feels different

The winner is… 3 Legged Thing Punks Corey 2.0

Innovative design and great build quality, performance and versatility make this a winner

3 Legged Thing Punks Corey 2.0

£169/$199 An immaculate magnesium alloy tripod with innovative features that make it more than the sum of its cleverly designed parts

Tripod insiders

Some models are small enough for your photo bag

What’s afoot?

Pads or spikes, or something completely different?

Electric avenue

The Z 8’s absent mechanical shutter follows in the Z 9’s footsteps and Mike Harris wonders if Nikon’s ditched it for good

Nikon cameras