Innholdsfortegnelse for 13-jun-15 i Amateur Photographer

As a child, I always had my head in a book about other countries and cultures. Once I discovered photography I dreamed of working for National Geographic, and although that wasn’t to be, by the 1980s I was earning a useful income from travel stock photography. Even now I’m at my most inspired when immersed in foreign cultures, preferably somewhere hot where there are long shadows and bold colours. The genre is much harder to succeed in now, though. Digital technology – in cameras, the internet and now mobile – along with the growth of mass tourism, means the world is awash with travel imagery, and it’s increasingly difficult to find a new angle that hasn’t already been done to death. Yet some people are still managing to find success…

PHOTOGRAPHERS can get hands-on with the latest Panasonic cameras and receive expert advice during 4K photo walks at selected National Trust properties until 27 September. Among the activities on offer is the chance to borrow a Panasonic Lumix camera and learn how to extract photos from 4K footage. The latest 4K models will include the LX00 and FZ1000. There will also be the chance to print out images before you leave the event. Expert advice will be provided by Panasonic Lumix Ambassadors, who will accompany participants on the photo walks. The next dates are 13-14 June at Erddig in Wrexham; 21June at West Wycombe Park in Buckinghamshire; and 27-28 June at Souter Lighthouse, Tyne and Wear. For full details of upcoming dates and venues, visit news.panasonic. co.uk/news and type ‘National…

Dave Kai Piper Dave is a photographer and retoucher who has worked with numerous brands and publications, as well as being an Adobe Community Professional. Visit his website at www.ideasandimages.co.uk From the outset, it is always worth bearing in mind that all photography is subjective and this is never more apparent than in the world of post-production. How far you can push, or should push, an image is up to you. It is true that there are ‘common’ levels that other people work to, and there is a ‘normal’ standard among different photographers, but Photoshop is a tool that can be used to creative effect, just like the camera, lighting or styling. The interesting thing is, just like the fashion world, and especially the beauty part of the fashion world,…

Girl with a lamp Aaron Bennett Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 50mm, 1/6sec at f/1.4, ISO 4000 WHAT a lovely idea! Aaron has really thought about this shot in advance, has planned what the girl was going to wear and where she would stand – and what time of day he should shoot it. I love the composition and the way the lamp picks out the girl's face and hair from the darkness. He has the exposure just about right, and has used the warmth of the lamp to make her face glow against the cold-blue backdrop. However, he has used a bit too much contrast in post-production, and the deep shadows hide too much of the environment. The bright highlights create a hardness that conflicts with the overall sense…

THE OLYMPUS OM-D E-M5 Mark II has won the Japan Camera Grand Prix 2015 ‘Editors' Award'. The prize is organised by the Japan Camera Journal Press Club, members of which include photographic journalists from Japan. The annual award is presented to the still camera introduced in Japan over the past year that club members deem ‘most popular, valuable and innovating to the market'. Judges said: ‘…this camera is designed for focusing in high quality – close to that of the company's flagship, the E-M1, in terms of both functionality and operability'. They added: ‘The 5-axis image stabilisation and 40MP high-resolution mode result in the possibility of [a] high-resolution image with a compact lens interchanging camera.' Subscribe to Amateur Photographer SAVE 36% * Visit amateurphotographer subs.co.uk/15G * when you pay…

The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, is the world's largest trade show for mobile communication and usually a good place to have a closer look at the latest developments in mobile imaging technology. That said, at this year's show many of the larger manufacturers appeared reluctant to throw their cards on the table, with some not launching any high-end smartphones at all, and others not being particularly innovative in the camera department. One manufacturer stood out, though. Samsung launched two new devices that will no doubt compete for the title of 2015's best smartphone camera – the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. The two models are almost identical, with the slightly flattened edges of the S6 Edge's display being the only difference. They allow for additional notifications and swipe…

Until 6 September 2015, Sony is offering up to £100 cashback on its award-winning a7 full-frame compact system cameras. If you are after something a little smaller, then the Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III has £50 cashback. But it's not just cameras that form part of the offer. Cashback can be claimed on a variety of lenses, both in E and A-mount fittings, while videographers shooting with the a7 can get an impressive £200 off the Sony FE PZ 28-135mm f/4 G OSS lens. So no matter which Sony product you have, you take advantage of the deals. For a list of all cashback items, including flashguns and other accessories, go to www.sony.co.uk/imagingcashback or visit your nearest Alpha Centre of Excellence store.…

And you answered A No, I have no interest in infrared 27% B Yes, if I could afford to 23% C I haven’t really given it consideration 17% D Yes, if I had a spare camera 16% EYes, I have done and use it regularly 9% FNo, I would borrow/hire one 5% GYes, I have done but hardly use it 3% What you said ‘Been there, done that, many moons ago with infrared film. Got over it’ ‘I’d happily convert a camera if I had the cash. I shoot everything and everywhere except underwater and would love the chance to do so in infrared as well’ ‘I took two screws out of one of my old bodies, decided I would probably electrocute myself on the flash capacitors, put the screws…

Here’s something you may not be aware of – tens of thousands of people currently follow a magpie called Penguin on Instagram. Of course, the images are not taken by a magpie, but by Australian professional photographer Cameron Bloom. Since December 2013, he has been documenting a unique bond between his family – including his wife Sam and his three sons – and the orphaned magpie they found abandoned in the wild, nursed back to health and subsequently adopted. The magpie, which they named Penguin, quickly became an integral part of the Blooms’ home and family, playing affectionately with the boys, snuggling up in bed, stealing a bite of dinner and generally just being incredibly photogenic. The Instagram account documenting Penguin’s adventures has proved so popular that New York Times…

£133 www.thinktankphoto.com Tripod transport The side of the bag houses a stretchy pocket that can fit a small travel tripod. The kit includes a strap to secure a tripod to the bag. Laptop pouch The rear of the bag sports a pouch to house both a 10in tablet and/or a 15in laptop. Padded shoulder straps The shoulder straps are well padded and comfortable to wear. They’re also made from breathable air-mesh nylon to help prevent sweating. At a glance Designed to fit CSC kit with lenses Enough room for personal belongings Back pocket holds a 15in laptop THINK Tank's Urban Approach15 Mirrorless Backpack sits alongside two shoulder bags in the range. As the name suggests, it's designed for mirrorless cameras, including larger models such as the Sony Alpha 7 models,…

Resolution Looking at the chart, there are two things that stand out. The first is that there is only a small difference in centre sharpness when shooting at f/2.8 and at f/8. Second, at f/8 the resolution at the centre and edge is virtually identical, as can be seen in the image on page 52. This is an impressive performance, and means that at its best the 90mm macro is one of the sharpest lenses we have tested. Shading There is some vignetting when shooting wide open, although for the types of images that the lens will be used for it shouldn’t be an issue. Macro images will be shot at smaller apertures, where the corner shading isn’t an issue, and a touch of vignetting on portraits can be a…

This picture is brilliant on so many levels that it is hard to know where to begin. For a start, there is the sheer impact and weirdness: a giant golden stone, apparently on the point of falling off a cliff. Even without the monks it would be fascinating, but they provide a sort of surreal explanation. Compositionally, they are important too: cover them up with your thumb, and both intellectually and compositionally the picture is vastly weaker. Next you have the exposure, principally for the golden rock. By concentrating on that, Kubota has allowed much of the rest of the picture to hover on the edge of underexposure. We know it isn’t gold, of course – or at least, we believe that it isn’t – but it raises the classic…

Handy gadget The versatile Takeway T1 Clampod, which is built to fix a camera, phone, flashgun or tablet to handlebars, sports equipment or railings, has been launched for photographers and videographers. Its removable base also means it can sit on flat or angled surfaces. It costs £59.94. For stockist details call Kenro on 01793 615 836, or visit www.kenro.co.uk. Salgado wins award Sebastião Salgado has won a Royal Geographical Society award. RGS president Professor Dame Judith Rees awarded Salgado the Cherry Kearton Medal and Award, saying: ‘His photography provides an exceptional record of Amazonian natural history, powerfully illustrating issues relating to conservation and international education.’ Free Olympus test drive Photo enthusiasts can book a free three-day test drive of the Olympus OM-D or Pen-series cameras, with a ‘no-strings attached’ Test…

Philip Lee Harvey Philip was recently named 2014 Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) for a portfolio from Ethiopia and Namibia, and his work has been exhibited widely in both Europe and the USA. Check out his winning images at the forthcoming TPOTY exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society, London, from 24 July to 5 September. See www.philipleeharvey.com 1 Learn your craft and then be creative We should all know technically what we are doing as photographers, whether we are professionals or amateurs. You get so much more from photography when you are in control of your equipment. If you let your camera control everything, chances are you won't get the creative look you are after. So, the first thing to do is to turn off any automatic settings, and…

EISA Maestro Competition winners This week we showcase the first, second and third-placed winners in the UK round of the EISA Maestro Photo Contest 2015. Entrants were asked to submit a set of five to eight images relating to the theme of ‘Family'. The first-prize winner goes through to the international final, with the results announced in August. AP is the UK representative for EISA on the photographic panel and had the pleasure of judging the UK entries. Neal Laver, Suffolk ‘As a teenager, we had a Polaroid camera at home,' says Neal, ‘and when I was about 15 I bought an Olympus Trip. I had several other film cameras over the years, but struggled to learn very much. The digital era changed that, and after the birth of my…

£1.49 (Available for iOS) www.thirtysixapp.com IF YOU are craving the simplicity of shooting on film, the Thirty Six iPhone app could be for you. Thirty Six may seem like just another iPhone camera app, but it has one key difference: all images are saved within the app, and not on the phone's built-in photo folder. This facility is key, as you can only view the photos you've taken once you export them to your photo folder – or after you've taken 36 photos (much like the old days of film photography, where you could only view images once developed). On exporting you can select your film type, make adjustments to colour and contrast, and even add a vignette effect. However, unlike other apps, colour effects are applied to all images.…

DESIGNING and building your own camera, even a pinhole model, is of course a highly complex task and not for everyone. However, 3D printing can be an extremely useful tool for photographers in simpler ways. Most of us have lost a lens cap or small accessories while out shooting. These items can often be difficult to replace. Imagine if you could simply print a new one when you get back to the office. Yet 3D printing can not only help replace lost or misplaced items, but it is also great for making accessories that require a degree of customisation and are therefore unsuitable for mass production using conventional manufacturing methods. A web search reveals a plethora of building instructions for 3D-printed accessories, including tripod plates, film holders, camera supports of…

WHILE the FrankenCamera and OpenReflex are by far the most complex 3D printing camera projects we have come across, by no means are they unique. A look at 3D printing community websites such as Instructables or Thingiverse reveals a number of camera projects that entirely or partially use 3D-printed parts. For those who would like to explore 3D printing and know their way around a soldering iron, a simple 3D-printed camera on Instructables is a perfect first project. The camera doesn't have a screen and therefore doesn't allow for image preview, giving it a bit of a film-camera feel. It uses a 3D-printed body, but most of the internal components, including the main camera module, an SD-card slot and an Arduino processing board, can be purchased at any well-stocked DIY…

Buying decisions QI take ‘macro-ish' photos of flowers and fungi, as well as landscapes. Therefore I need a flip-out or tilt screen, and a viewfinder. Small sensors are good for flowers, except sometimes the depth of field is too deep, and from my experience they are not so good for landscapes, as detail is lost in grass, and so on. My question is, should I buy the Fujifilm X30 with its small sensor and f/2.8 lens, or a Micro Four Thirds or APS-C camera such as an Olympus OM-D E-M10, Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 or Sony Alpha 6000, all with f/3.5 lenses? How good is the Fujifilm lens compared to the kit lens of the compact system cameras? I have a limited budget and will be unable to keep buying lenses.…

LAUNCHED September 2001 PRICE AT LAUNCH £1499 GUIDE PRICE TODAY £75 LIGHTLY improved from the E-10, primarily with a five-million-pixel sensor, the E-20P was a rugged magnesium-alloy body digital reflex camera with a fixed 35-140 f/2 zoom lens and a tilting1.8in LCD screen with live-view capability. What’s good The optical viewfinder doesn't blank when the shutter releases because it's fed by a beam-splitter rather than a flappy mirror. A live-view LCD was an innovation, as was its tilting design. The shutter is almost silent and image quality highly regarded due to the quality (and fast) lens optics. With the E-20P's lower resolution progressive scan sensor mode, a 1/18,000sec shutter speed was possible. What’s bad With its relatively small 2/3in CCD sensor and beam-splitting TTL system sharing the light between the…