Innholdsfortegnelse for 19 jul 2014 i Amateur Photographer

One hundred years ago, a microscope engineer from Wetzlar, Germany, showed his boss a prototype for a camera he’d been developing on the side, which used movie film. The engineer was Oskar Barnack, his boss was Ernst Leitz, and 11 years later the evolution of that camera went into production as the Leica I. The rest is history. As the first commercially successful 35mm camera, it was instrumental in popularising not only the 35mm format itself but the general concept of photography with small, handheld cameras. Even though you’re statistically unlikely to be a Leica owner yourself, if you’ve owned a 35mm camera or DSLR, you’re a beneficiary of Barnack’s legacy. This week, we join Leica in celebrating its centenary year with a special issue dedicated to the cameras, the…

The universe is a vast place. Yet through the power of photography we can at least try to capture just a small section of it. The Astronomy Photographer of the Year had its first outing in 2009 and since then has been become a staple of those looking to witness the wonders the galaxy keeps hidden from the naked eye. This image, one of a number of incredible shots on the shortlist, was taken in Skjervøy, Troms, Norway. The photographer, Anneliese Possberg, stands to win an overall prize of £1,500 and a chance to see her work on the walls of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. Entries are now closed for this year and the results will be announced on 18 September. Visit www.rmg.co.uk for details. 6,000 The number of…

Nigel Atherton discusses why he considers Sebastião Salgado to be one of the world’s greatest living photographers No magazine dedicated to Leicas and famous Leica users would be complete without some reference to Sebastião Salgado. I’m often asked to name my favourite photographer, and it’s an impossible question to answer with so many great candidates, but if pushed I’d have to pick Salgado. Every photojournalist hopes their work will change the way people think, but this isn’t easy to achieve. War photography may shock but it has never stopped people from killing each other. In1993, I went to see Salgado’s Workers exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall. I wasn’t that familiar with his work at that time and didn’t know what to expect, but when I left that exhibition I…

Shoes Comfort is key for street photography, and is particularly important when considering what shoes to wear. If you’re thinking about your aching feet, you’re not thinking about photography. Thick soles are usually the best option. An umbrella Many of us know the horror of getting stuck in a downpour. But rather than running inside, try and make the best of the situation. Some great street shots can be taken out in the rain. The reflecting colours on the pavement during and after a shower are a beautiful sight. Thumb grip Not an essential item but one to make a note of if you feel like taking your street photography up a notch. The thumb grip is designed to provide a little more comfort while holding your camera, and also…

In this celebration of the camera that changed photography, Roger Hicks offers an analysis of why the Leica is so special, while David Clark presents a selection of iconic images taken on Leicas and tributes by celebrated owners past and present A second-hand Leica is surprisingly affordable. Go through the dealers’ ads in the back of the magazine. To be sure, a few hundred pounds is a lot of money: more than most of us could lay our hands on at a moment’s notice for a non-essential purchase. But compare it with the cost of a fitted kitchen or bathroom, or a big-screen television, or a decent mountain bike, or a thousand other consumer gewgaws, and it is clear that for many people, buying or not buying a Leica is…

That’s Photography £21, Hatje Cantz, 2004 This monograph packs in a wide cross-section of Feininger’s images over 320 pages, charting his work from 1930 to the late ’80s, illustrating his bold and experimental work. New York in the Forties £19, Dover Publications, 1978 Over 160 images with detailed captions capture the city’s glory years, with scenes including skyscrapers under construction, Harlem nightclubs, waterfront activity, Bowery flophouses, the Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown, Coney Island and more. The Complete Photographer £109, Pearson Ptr, 1965 Long out of print, but now considered a classic, this popular technique book by Feininger will change the way you look at pictures and is still just as relevant today as it was when it was originally published back in the ’60s.…

National Geographic Africa Midi Satchel £109.95 www.geographicbags.co.uk Callum McInerney-Riley tests one of the best camera satchels currently available At a glance • Made using real leather• Stylish and ergonomic design• Fits a DSLR kit with two lenses• Inner pockets for tablet and personal belongings IN MAY, National Geographic announced six new bags for its Africa range of camera bags. This collection wouldn’t look out of place on the set of an Indiana Jones film with its global explorer styling. Many photographers find this classic style very desirable and equally appreciate the durability of the materials used. Alongside tote bags, sling bags and backpacks, National Geographic has brought us this, the Midi Satchel. Inside the Midi Satchel is a removable compartment for camera kit. This has dimensions of 165x175x110mm, which is ample space to house…

IF I COULD make two improvements to the X-E2’s performance it would be to enhance the battery life and add a more accurate battery indicator. I knew that my opting to take a smaller compact system camera over my DSLR would come with a compromise or two, but after using the X-E2 continuously for a week, it highlighted the fact that with frequent use you can’t get away with longer than a day before a full recharge is required. Fujifilm claims that the MP-W126 rechargeable Li-ion battery is good for 350 shots on a full charge, but on an average day I discovered the battery display started to flash red after about 300 shots. On my busiest day where I was shooting virtually non-stop, reviewing images on the LCD display…

Get more out of your camera NIKON Back up your custom camera settings In Setup Menu > Save/Load settings. This will save a template of the camera’s menu settings, such as changes to colour focusing, shortcuts and other settings. You then have a backup of how you have customised your camera on your memory card. It would be best to use a memory card you are not using to store images on, so you can keep that card as the camera’s backup. CANON Show clipped highlights The highlight alert is a feature found on all models. On the more basic introductory models it can only be viewed on the info screen by pressing the Info or Disp button when playing back an image. On the more advanced models, you can…

For stills photographers used to 24 million pixels and counting on entry-level products, the fuss about 4K video can be hard to understand. The term ‘4K’ covers a variety of resolutions, but most are in the range of 8-9 million pixels. For instance, Ultra-High Definition TV (UHD) is 3840x2160 pixels, while cinema 4K is 4096x2160 pixels. As with higher definition in still cameras, the extra capture pixels will bring with them greater acuity and detail, even when downsampled to ‘traditional’ HD (1920x1080 pixels) or smaller. So, why has this advantage taken so long to come to fruition, when we have had 8-million-pixel still cameras for over ten years? The answer is ‘data transfer rate’. That first 8MP still camera was the Canon EOS 20D, which shot at five frames per…

Where do you begin to say what’s wrong with this picture? It’s a self-indulgent proto-selfie, apparently taken with the aid of a dressing-table mirror. Faults include insufficient depth of field; a messy background; the head chopped in half not once but twice; muddy tonality; and a divided centre of interest, with the principal subject split between extreme left and extreme right. There’s a mushy streak down the right-hand side of the only print I’ve seen. Worse, it has been cropped: this is not the 2:3 aspect ratio of her Leica. We all know that ‘real’ photographers never crop. Technically clever Fortunately, there’s another place to start, which is by pointing out that all of the above is drivel. It’s the sort of drivel that is often attributed to camera-club judges,…

Overseas aid A crowdfunding campaign to help equip and train young people in Sri Lanka to take photographs has been launched. The Voice of Image project is on on a mission to help youngsters document the ‘cultures and realities of their beautiful but suffering country’. They work with members of various ethnic groups. Campaigners hope to raise £7,000. Visit www.peacedirect.org/VOI. EOS M lens Independent lens maker Tamron has released a Canon EOS M-compatible version 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III VC lens. Also available in a Sony-mount, it is designed for cameras with an APS-C-sized imaging sensor. The £389.99 lens is due out this month. For details visit www.tamron.co.uk. Bird calls The RSPB is calling on wildlife photographers to help build a picture of declining seabird populations. Campaigners are appealing for photos…

APPLE has pulled the plug on its Aperture image editing and management program, after almost nine years. Launched as an ‘all-in-one post-production tool’ that was set to revolutionise photographers’ workflow, Aperture aimed to make working with raw image files as easy as with JPEGs. ‘Aperture is to professional photography what Final Cut Pro is to filmmaking,’ said Apple in October 2005. Aperture cost £349 at launch. Apple UK said: ‘With the introduction of the new Photos app and iCloud Photo Library, enabling you to safely store all your photos in iCloud and access them from anywhere, there will be no new development of Aperture. ‘When Photos for OS X ships next year, users will be able to migrate their existing Aperture libraries to Photos for OS X.’…

UR Leica The 1914 prototype Leica that Oskar Barnack completed 100 years ago and whose centenary is being commemorated this year. Leica 1 (A) 1925 The first production Leica was launched at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1925 and caused a sensation. Leica M3 The first M camera, with bayonet lens mount, integral rangefinder and viewfinder. All subsequent M series are based on the M3. Leica IIIC K 1941/2 An advance in engineering – with a single die-cast shell, and an Arctic temperature-resistant ball-bearing shutter. Leicaflex 1964 The original non-TTL Leicaflex, sometimes known as the ‘diesel Leica’, was produced in response to the success of the Nikon F. Leica R3 1976 Developed with Minolta, the first R-series SLR was Leica’s first to feature auto exposure. Leica M6 1984 The hugely…

THE CLARITY slider in Camera Raw can be used a lot as part of the regular tone adjustment editing and is often described as a midtone contrast adjustment slider. Basically, you can add positive amounts of Clarity to add more tonal contrast in the midtones and use negative amounts of Clarity to soften the contrast. For example, you can use a negative Clarity setting to produce diffused midtones, which can be effective at softening facial features. Most photographs will benefit from a positive Clarity of around +10. Some images may need more, such as in the extreme examples here where I applied a higher-than-normal setting in both images.…

Fujifilm X-Trans sensor and hybrid AF system Whereas the original X-E1 inherited the X-Trans CMOS sensor from the X-Pro1, the Fujifilm X-E2 employs a newer 16.3-million-pixel, APS-C-sized X-Trans CMOS II sensor that incorporates more than 100,000 phase-detection pixels. These are built into the sensor to provide an intelligent hybrid AF system for optimal focusing speeds. In addition, the X-E2 benefits from a revised autofocus algorithm, which results in improved accuracy over its predecessor when focusing in low-contrast and dark scenes. Dynamic range Besides exposure compensation, there are four D-range settings available, which are designed to preserve highlight detail by exposing for the highlights before boosting midtones and shadows to create an image with an overall wider dynamic range. Settings include auto, DR100 (default), DR200 and DR400. Film simulation The camera’s…

LAUNCHED 1954 PRICE WITH F/2 SUMMICRON IN 1958 £183 6s 0d GUIDE PRICE TODAY £500-£1,500 Using a Leica M3 is to experience camera engineering and optical quality at its best. The first bayonet-mount Leica, initially (1954-58) needing two strokes to advance film and shutter (‘double-stroke’), later single-stroke (1958-67), the Leica M3 remains the bestselling Leica of all time, with over 250,000 sold. What’s good Superlatively bright, clear and uncluttered integrated viewfinder and rangefinder. Fast, accurate focusing. Quiet focal-plane shutter and film transport. Extreme reliability. Superb lens quality and simple interchangeability. What’s bad The high cost of servicing if you buy an M3 that needs it. Check shutter operation very carefully. Avoid cameras whose shutters squeak or have hesitant slow speeds. Don’t buy an M3 whose rangefinder doesn’t precisely ‘make’ infinity.…

Nick Turpin Nick Turpin has worked as a staff photographer with The Independent newspaper and in 2000 founded In-Public, the influential international street photographers’ group. In 2010, he established Nick Turpin Publishing. www.nickturpin.com The first thing you should know about street photography is that the debates about what it is and isn’t are quite vociferous. Search the web for ‘street photography’ and allow your eyes time to focus on the plethora of images, books and websites that fill your screen. It’s almost overwhelming, isn’t it? However, there’s a problem. I would argue that a majority of the stuff that you – and the internet – assume falls under the banner of the genre doesn’t really fit the criteria of what I would consider true street photography. For example, I’m not…

1 Travel light Carry the smallest amount of equipment possible: preferably one camera and a short, wide, fixed-focal-length lens. Wear comfortable shoes and take a small umbrella, bottle of water and sun cream in a small rucksack. Basically, go out looking like a tourist photographer. 2 The right camera Selecting the right camera is a crucial consideration. Your camera should be light, compact and, if possible, quiet. Big, bulky DSLRs will immediately identify you as a photographer, meaning that you risk losing any candid moments you happen across on your journey. 3 Be realistic You must start with realistic expectations. Most of us get perhaps 10 to 15 really nice street photographs a year, so don’t start down this road unless you are prepared for a number of fruitless trips.…

LETTER OF THE WEEK Didn’t he do well? Your first Classics Revisited piece (AP 21 June) paid a further compliment to the great David Bailey in that you used a team of two photographers in the attempt to emulate his work. To do this, they used digital capture and manipulation. Back in 1961, Bailey, while having the incomparable Jean Shrimpton as his model, was limited to film, poor lad. Didn’t he do well? Peter McKenzie, Northumberland To be fair to our team, trying to copy any photo, even a casual snap, can be more difficult than shooting the original, especially when you're using different materials and processes. But yes, browsing through David Bailey's archive while choosing which image to use for this project re-affirmed why Where in the world? Apropos…

In our latest Classics Revisited, we’re going to recreate the iconic shot of photojournalist Dennis Stock by groundbreaking photographer Andreas Feininger. Born in Paris, but raised in Germany, Feininger trained as an architect at the Bauhaus in Dessau in 1922. Though he experimented with photography while studying, it was after graduating that he began shooting architectural subjects. This led to him taking on a job as an architectural photographer, before becoming a professional photographer in 1936. With the threat of war in 1939, Feininger emigrated to the USA. In 1943, Feininger began working as a Life staff SKRWRJUDSKHU DQG RYHU D SUROLfiF 19-year career there, shot over 340 assignments for the famous magazine. While perhaps understandably a lot of his work gravitated towards documenting the post-war boom of 20th century…

The two Reader Portfolio winners chosen every week will receive a SmugMug Power account, worth £35 each, on which to host their images SmugMug is the world’s leading independent cloud-based photo website for a new generation of photographers. SmugMug Power account gives you a fully hosted, customisable website where you will receive unlimited photo uploads and gorgeous full-screen galleries. Visit www.smugmug.com Gary Ong, Singapore ‘I stumbled into photography about five years ago when a colleague picked up a DSLR and kept pestering me to join in,’ says Gary. Ever since then, Gary (who describes himself as a gear-head) has developed a keen eye for photography, particularly on the streets. He is a Leica devotee and says that he prefers black & white shooting to the point of favouring the M…

Nigel Atherton stumbled upon photography during his last year at school and soon decided to make it his career. After a year of assisting, followed by art college, he has worked in a wide variety of photographic genres – weddings, portraits, industrial, military and cruise ships – before joining AP in 1994. During this time he has owned many cameras but here are a few of the key ones. 1979 Zenit EM My first camera. I recall it as heavy and crude, with an oily smell. I always struggled to get accurate exposures from the meter on top of the prism, and it would often chew up the sprocket holes on my film when rewinding it. Fortunately, shortly after I bought it, I got a part-time job at the local…