The Nikon Z6 III is a really highly effective new digicam and a preferred one, too, as PetaPixel readers can attest. To showcase the system’s prowess, Nikon Europe enlisted the assistance of 4 proficient skilled sports activities photographers.
For the aptly named Sporting the Unexpected series, Nikon labored with Dani KM, Anouk Flesch, Little Shao, and Ray Demski, all skilled photographers with distinctive kinds. PetaPixel chatted with every to study extra about their images, the brand new images they created with the Z6 III, and the way enhancing digicam expertise impacts their work.
One of many key options of the Z6 III is its brand-new partially stacked 24-megapixel picture sensor. Though not as swift because the fully-stacked sensor within the Z8 and Z9, the Z6 III can nonetheless file full-resolution RAW photos at as much as 20 frames per second with minimal rolling shutter distortion. As KM, Flesch, Shao, and Demski exhibit, the Z6 III is completely as much as the duty of high-end sports activities and motion images, particularly in comparison with its predecessor.
“The Z6 III’s pace — significantly the sooner autofocus and 1/16,000 shutter pace — was important for this collection,” says Anouk Flesch, who took the Z6 III to the Dune du Pilat close to Bordeaux, France, to showcase athletes snowboarding in sand fairly than snow.
“These options allowed me to deal with creativity fairly than being restricted by technical constraints,” Flesch continues, including that she all the time strives to “emphasize the pure tones of the surroundings,” and within the case of snowboarding in dunes in opposition to a blue sky, “the distinction between heat and funky tones.”
Little Shao likewise put athletes in an uncommon surroundings, photographing break-dancer Hyperlink in a French forest.
“I needed to create one thing we don’t see usually. The forest flooring and surroundings are so hostile to breaking — you possibly can’t spin, it’s tough to search out steadiness as a result of the bottom is uneven and unpredictable. However when it comes to creativity, when paired with the suitable individual, it may be magical and placing sufficient to seize folks’s consideration,” Little Shao tells PetaPixel.
“Nowadays, we’re bombarded with a lot content material on social media that it virtually desensitizes us. Folks are inclined to go for easy, protected concepts or repeat what’s already confirmed to work, all to chase views. Only a few persons are prepared to push themselves creatively or take dangers with concepts which may not go viral,” the photographer continues.
Little Shao says Hyperlink was the right b-boy for the challenge. Identified for his creativity and out-of-the-box type, Hyperlink was definitely up for breaking within the forest.
Whereas the Z6 III and plenty of different high-end cameras are a lot quick sufficient to freeze motion, conveying a way of movement in a nonetheless {photograph} is difficult, and relies upon closely on the photographer’s technical and inventive expertise.
“I’d say there are two issues that I actually must care for with a purpose to present movement in nonetheless images,” says Little Shao. “First is what you’re capturing. Motion throughout the scene naturally suggests movement, nevertheless it’s additionally vital to convey the story behind the photograph. If the picture feels alive and tells a narrative, I consider it brings movement into the viewer’s unconscious. Mix this with a topic in motion, and it enhances the sense of motion even additional as a result of the physique, topic, or object visually expresses intention and route throughout the body.”
The second vital issue is framing and positioning the topic.
“You possibly can information the viewer’s notion of movement. For instance, if the motion strikes from left to proper, it’s efficient to border the topic on the left,” permitting the viewer to think about the topic’s path by way of the body. Giving a transferring topic someplace to go contained in the body is crucial.
Dani KM transported tennis gamers from the courts to nature. Dani captured a tennis match performed on Utah’s shiny white salt flats, placing the Z6 III’s dynamic vary to the take a look at. Though sports activities images sometimes put the game itself first, KM needed to emphasise the surroundings.
“For this challenge, I felt that Nikon actually trusted the inventive course of, permitting me the liberty to discover new methods of approaching my images. It felt like the suitable time to take a unique route, particularly with such a spectacular panorama. I needed to honor the expansiveness of our environment, so I made positive the viewer would first deal with the surroundings, with the game coming second. It was a novel alternative the place I might prioritize nature in a sports activities photoshoot.”
The Z6 III helped KM in a considerably surprising approach. Whereas taking pictures speeds and dependable autofocus all the time matter for sports activities images, KM notes that the EVF’s brightness was particularly very important on this surroundings.
“With this digicam, there’s no discrepancy in brightness; what you see by way of the EVF is simply as clear as what your eye perceives,” she says, noting that she shoots with each eyes open when doable.
KM additionally utilized the digicam’s 120 frames per second taking pictures mode, which is JPEG solely. “In sports activities images, timing is every little thing, and with this body fee, I’m capable of seize that good second with out lacking a single body.”
Motion photographer Ray Demski ventured right into a mountain collapse Germany to {photograph} boxers, utilizing off-camera lighting to create a dynamic shadow boxing scene.
“For this shot of the boxer sparring along with his shadow, I used a easy lighting setup with a single naked Nikon SB-5000 speedlight (https://petapixel.com/2016/01/05/nikons-new-sb-5000-is-the-first-speedlight-to-utilize-radio-frequency/) positioned on the cave flooring,” Demski tells PetaPixel. “This created clear, sturdy shadows. The flash was positioned close to a second boxer, simply out of body, and aimed to forged an enlarged shadow on the wall whereas additionally lighting the principle boxer.”
Nikon’s Artistic Lighting System is an usually underappreciated facet of the corporate’s product lineup. Though photographers use lights from many various firms, Nikon’s speedlights and cameras all play properly with one another.
“The Nikon CLS system and speedlights are perfect for holding my gear light-weight and versatile, particularly once I can’t carry massive lights to hard-to-reach places. With the Z6 III, including the compact Nikon WR-R10 permits me to regulate a number of teams of Nikon SB5000 speedlights by way of radio transmission. It’s extremely environment friendly, significantly when making changes to flashes positioned in tough spots — like the highest of the 7.5-meter gentle stand I used within the cave for some pictures,” Demski provides.
The Sporting the Surprising collection goals to exhibit what makes the Z6 III a succesful sports activities and motion digicam. There’s little doubt that it’s, in actual fact, a extremely competent digicam. As PetaPixel defined in its Z6 III Review, the digicam is likely one of the most full mid-range hybrid cameras available on the market. It affords a variety of efficiency for its value, considerably undercutting flagship-level cameras when it comes to value with out giving up a lot by the use of efficiency. The Z6 III strikes a fantastic steadiness.
Whereas not one of the pictures above are inconceivable to seize with a good variety of different cameras from Nikon or its rivals, it’s all the time worthwhile to see how skilled photographers use the newest fashions and study extra concerning the options they care most about for his or her work.
Picture credit: Images offered by Nikon. Photographers are credited within the particular person photograph captions.
