Innholdsfortegnelse for 06-Dec-2014 i Amateur Photographer

HAVE you ever risked your safety for the sake of a picture? The sensible answer, of course, is no. After all, is any photo worth risking your life for? But I’m sure that, like me, many of you have at some point been reckless in your pursuit of an image. I have hung precariously over glaciers, been chased down dodgy Latin American backstreets and risked being a grizzly bear’s dinner at various times, but Australian photographer Frank Hurley was in a different league. The risks he took and the hardships he endured in his quest to record Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 Endurance expedition, and then save his images when disaster struck, are the stuff of legend. I first heard this story nearly 20 years ago, but it remains, for me, still…

Sometimes just one photograph isn’t enough to truly capture the feel of your surroundings. Whether you live in a quiet rural village or you’re situated right in the heart of a busy city, there will be a host of buildings and landmarks that help to make your home townwhat it is. So thisweekend,why not try to capture this in a series of images, that when placed together demonstrate what it is that reallymakes your townstand out. This could be its collection of great historical buildings, its lush and vibrant parks, or even the hustle of the business district. Once you’ve captured a series of images, merge theminto amulti-image montage using Photoshop to really give the project its full effect. 1Before heading out to shoot, make a list of iconic buildings…

SONY has promised to meet the ‘growing need’ for high-speed AF in smartphones by launching a 21-million-pixel imaging sensor featuring a new signal-processing function. The Exmor RS IMX230, due out in April 2015, features an image-plane phase-detection AF system that uses up to 192 AF points. The sensor is a 1/2.4intype that Sony claims will also deliver high-quality bright and dark areas, even in backlit scenes. On its website, Sony trumpeted the development as the industry’s first CMOS imaging sensor for smartphones to feature an on-board image-plane phase-detection AF-signal processing function, ‘to achieve excellent focus tracking of fast-moving subjects’.…

Christmas at Kew Glittering trails of lights lead paths around Kew in the gardens’ afterdark celebrations. Bring a camera/lens combo that can handle itself in low light – you’re going to need it. Until 3 January 2015. www.kew.org Eden Project Winter Festival The beautiful Eden Project is worth photographing all-year round, but especially so during the Christmas period, with its lights, displays and late opening hours. New for 2014 is an Enchanted Rainforest display in the centre’s Rainforest Biome. Until 4 January 2015 www.edenproject.com Bath Christmas Market More than 170 traditional wooden chalets line the streets for Bath’s Christmas Market. There’s plenty to see throughout the month, and a pop-up Après Ski Bar to relax in afterwards. Go on, you’ve earned it. Until 14 December www.bathchristmasmarket.co.uk FATHOM 2014 New resident…

Andrew Whyte Andrew Whyte is one of the UK’s leading night photographers. His landscape astrophotography is as well known as his abstract light paintings. Andrew’s images have been widely published and he continues to develop a diverse list of commercial clients. www.longexposures.co.uk Wide, fast lens A wide aperture gathers light more quickly, which is critical when there’s not much of it. If you learn (or know how to look up) your hyperfocal distances, depth of field doesn’t need to be a challenge even at the widest setting. My 35mm f/2 is probably my most versatile lens. Sony Alpha 7S With a 12.2-million-pixel full-frame sensor and sensitivity range up to ISO 409,600, the Sony Alpha 7S is ideal for astrophotography. If you’ve looked up on a clear night but never been…

A century ago, on 5 December 1914, the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, set off from Grytviken in South Georgia in the South Atlantic. Also known as the Endurance expedition, it had, for its time, an almost impossibly ambitious aim: to be the first to cross the forbidding and largely unexplored continent of Antarctica. While the events that followed were extraordinary enough in themselves, the main reason we remember them so vividly is because they were documented by the Australian photographer Frank Hurley. His pictures, taken in extremely difficult conditions, capture the spirit of what’s become known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. The expedition took place against a backdrop of other pioneering feats of exploration. In 1909, Shackleton himself had come within 100 miles of…

Black & white THERE are many reasons that you would consider using black & white when shooting architecture. Consider the strong geometric shapes, lines and patterns that go into making a building and how you are going to draw attention to those interactions. When the colour of an image is removed we are left with an image that forces us to consider the remaining elements of a scene. If we look at the above shot, the first thing that strikes us is the repetition of lines and the strong shapes of the structure. Removing the colour has also meant that the sky above the subject is a now a clean canvas that acts as a nice backdrop to the structure. Lenses A lens that offers a wide view, such as…

THE SPOT Removal tool allows you to retouch JPEGs, TIFFs and raw images in Camera Raw, in a non-destructive way. The only downside is that if you try to apply a lot of retouching to an image, the processing can become quite slow, as Camera Raw tries to render a preview that contains not only spot removals but also calculates all the other corrections as well. As mentioned in this article, since Photoshop CC came out you can now click and drag to create brush spots that follow more precisely the outline of the blemish you are trying to remove. You should also find that the spot-removal processing in this later version of Camera Raw is faster compared to earlier versions. Martin Evening is a noted expert in both photography…

To celebrate AP’s 130th birthday, we’ve teamed up with some of the world’s leading photographers, the NSPCC and PhotoBoxto offer you the chance to win one of 130 signed prints. We have limited-edition prints from the likes of Gered Mankowitz, Art Wolfe, Steve McCurry, Charlie Waite, Steve Bloom, Tom Stoddart, Joe Cornish and Clive Nichols, and many more, and you could own one simply by supporting our campaign. All of the photographers have kindly donated their photos to help raise money for the NSPCC. PhotoBox, our print partner, will send you an A3 print of your winning image*. PhotoBox is a print company with a twist - it’s personal. PhotoBox takes your photographs and prints them onto books, framed prints and canvases from small to large sizes (to name just…

Petzval Art lens ● From £459 ● shop.lomography.com Developed by Lomography and Russian photography brand Zenit, the 85mm Petzval Art lens is a revamped version of a lens created in Vienna, Austria, in 1840. Constructed from brass and glass, the special properties of this lens offer a truly unique look. It is manual-focus only and uses interchangeable aperture plates ranging from f/2.2 to f/16. However, custom apertures can also be made and used to produce creative out-of-focus highlight effects. Canon EF and Nikon F mounts are both available for this very interesting piece of kit. Editor’s choice Samsung Galaxy Tab S ● From £399 ● www.samsung.com/uk Of all the consumer-grade tablets we’ve seen in recent times, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S has easily one of the most impressive screens for…

THE CANON EOS 7D Mark II performs creditably in our Applied Imaging tests, giving good resolution for its 20.2-millionpixel sensor and low noise at ISO 100-1600. As you’d expect, image quality deteriorates at higher sensitivities, but the JPEG output is still pretty good at ISO 6400, although with obvious loss of shadow detail. ISO 12,800 loses most fine detail, and the top settings are best used only when there’s no alternative.   Processed raw images give similar results, delivering usable results up to about ISO 6400. As usual, though, the highest ISOs settings are very noisy indeed, and should really only be used when absolutely necessary. The 7D Mark II performs well with regards to dynamic range, and like other Canon SLRs it highlight tone priority setting can be used…

Richard Sibley Before joining the AP team in 2007 as a technical writer, Richard Sibley worked as a photo-lab manager and a photo tutor. He took up photography seriously when he was 15, and later went on to study for BA in editorial and advertising photography at the Kent Institute of Art and Design. He particularly enjoys travel and landscape photography, and estimates that he has used over 300 cameras. 1995 Zenit EM Just before I bought my first SLR, a Zenit EM, I had spent half a term at school studying photography. It mostly consisted of making photograms in the darkroom, but I was hooked. I bought the Zenit EM from a car-boot sale for £25 with three lenses and a bag. It was one of the worst cameras…

We don’t normally see other people brushing their teeth. Of course, there are exceptions. We may have young children, or be at school or in military service, or live with someone in the same room. But no matter how close you may be to someone, oral hygiene is something few people go out of their way to watch. It is the idea of sharing a room that provides the initial frisson in this picture. Here is one of the most beautiful women of all time, cleaning her teeth. Or apparently so. The thought is enough to make many men go weak at the knees. But exactly how? A perpetual dilemma in this column is how much research to do. Sometimes, the story behind a picture adds everything. At other times,…

Nikon D200, 16-85mm, 1/25sec at f/5.6, ISO 400 THIS shot of a Bible, uploaded to the AP Flickr page by Paul Toole, is simple yet somehow still utterly engaging as an image. The beauty is in the details, as Paul explains. ‘The picture was taken at an open-air museum while on holiday at a heritage park called Upper Canada Village in Ontario,’ says Paul. ‘The Bible was in the vicar’s house who lived in the area, and my eye was caught by the light from the window illuminating the worn texture of the book. I was also particularly taken by the contrast of the hand-made red bookmark against the smooth cotton tablecloth. All these things revealed themselves even though I was shooting in a dark and dimly lit room.’ Why…

The Syngenta Photography Award is an international competition that aims to stimulate dialogue and raise awareness around significant global challenges through powerful photography. Earlier this year, it invited professional and amateur photographers from all over the world to submit applications responding to the theme of ‘Scarcity-Waste’. This image, called For Drought in Kenya, comes from Open competition nominee Stefano De Luigi, and shows Turkana women getting water for people and cattle from a 20m-deep, home-made borehole, in Kaitede village, in the region of Turkana. The competition winners will be announced in March 2015, with an exhibition at London’s Somerset House to follow. Words & numbers I believe in equality for everyone,except reporters and photographers Mahatma Gandhi Leader of the Indian nationalist movement against British rule (1869-1948)…

TRIBUTES have been paid to former Picture Post photographer Thurston Hopkins, who has died aged101. Hopkins joined the RAF photographic unit when the Second World War broke out and bought his first Leica while serving in Italy – describing it as ‘the first camera I can recall handling without a certain feeling of distaste’. Paying tribute, Matthew Butson, vice-president of Hulton Archive, told AP: ‘The man had no trace of an ego – a lovely person, very warm, very intelligent, and what he didn’t know about art was not worth knowing. ‘He wanted to be a graphic illustrator, but the camera paid more than the brush.’ Born in1913, Hopkins trained as a magazine illustrator at Brighton College of Art in East Sussex, and his time as a Fleet Street photographer…

There is a segment of the generation that grew up with the internet that thinks it’s acceptable to repost images they’ve found online to their social networks, without crediting the original source. I have a Tumblr blog, and when I post other people’s work I always credit them and link back to their website. This kind of attribution takes a little time, but I want to help create an internet where people can go on a voyage of discovery and not hit dead ends. When a photographer’s image is used without permission, the first thing they usually say is, ‘My photograph has been stolen.’ I always think ‘stolen’ is a little strong for such situations; after all, nothing has physically been taken. Believe it or not, there have been cases…

LETTER OF THE WEEK It’s who’s behind the camera that counts Don’t they always say that it’s not the camera, but who’s behind it that counts? Your excellent article on travel photographer Kevin Russ (AP 1 November), who successfully submits iPhone images to agencies, proved how true that old adage is. Kevin said that using his phone has injected a bit of fun back into his photography as he had to ‘relearn’ how to take pictures with it. Who’d have thought that photo agencies and libraries – with their devoutly high standards – would ever succumb to pictures taken on phones rather than on cameras supposedly more suited to the task! Just the same, I’ll stick to using my iPhone for family snaps while living in hope that it might…

HURLEY took at least six cameras on the Endurance expedition. He opted for a mixture of different formats, knowing that cumbersome large-format kit would not always be practical to use in Antarctic conditions. His cameras included three Folmer & Schwing Graflex cameras, which used 7 x 5in glass plates. He also took an unidentified 8∞⁄Π x 6∞⁄￢in (whole-plate) camera and a Goerz Anschutz folding box camera, which shot half-plate (6∞⁄Π x 4∞⁄￢in) negatives Hurley additionally took two small 127-format Kodak bellows cameras: a Vest Pocket VPK No3 and a Folding Pocket Kodak camera, FPK 3A, both of which produced 2∞⁄Π x 1∞⁄Πin negatives. His also included a Kodak No4 Panoram (a panoramic camera introduced in 1899). The movie footage was shot on a Prestwich No5 cine camera.…

Changing the point of view WHEN you are shooting in the street, you have to be quick and make the most of each and every opportunity. In this instance, Gordon Duthie found an interesting scene, but it looks like he shot it in a hurry. Ideally, the camera viewpoint should have been lower to avoid the converging verticals, and there is an annoying object entering the right-hand side of the frame. I used the Lens Corrections controls in Camera Raw to appear to manipulate the perspective and create a nice-looking composition. I then had to make use of the Content-Aware Fill feature in Photoshop to get rid of the offending object on the right (probably the back of a truck) and also to fill in an area of transparency. Submityour…

Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact ● From £329 ● www.sony.co.uk Devo finds the perfect for viewing and editing your images At a glance ● 8.1-million-pixel camera with Exmor RS lens ● Waterproof and dustproof ● Large 4,500mAh battery for long-lasting performance THE SONY Xperia Z3 measures just 213.3 x 6.4 x 123.6mm and weighs 270g, slipping easily into a jacket or back pocket. The rear, 8.1-million-pixel camera has an Exmor RS lens and is decent for taking pictures. Its wide, 1920 x 1200-pixel-resolution screen, with its pixel density of 283ppi, is one of the brightest and most attractive displays I’ve seen on a tablet this year, despite not following the current trend for super-highdefinition screens. The tablet’s rounded aluminium frame and tough matt plastic back achieve an IP65/IP68 rating for…

Novelties Advanced accessories and curiosities to meet all budgets Editor’s choice GoPro Hero • ￡100 • gopro.com The world’s most recognisable action-camera brand has released an entry-level unit, enabling the masses to get a taste of the photography-on-the-go revolution. This no-frills version of the GoPro can capture 1080p video at 30fps, and 5-million-pixel stills in 5fps bursts - plus, it’s waterproof up to 40m. Suitable for surfing, skiing, hiking, cycling and other action activities, this will make a great gift for somebody who likes to travel. Quad Lock • ￡43 • www.quadlockcase.com Perfect for active types, the Quad Lock mounting system can be used to secure a smartphone onto your arm while running, or to your bike while cycling. It can also be attached to a car windscreen or mounted…

At a glance ● 20.2-million-pixel, APS-C sensor ● 65-point autofocus system ● 10fps continuous shooting ● Dual Pixel AF in live view and video ● ISO 100-51,200 (extended) ● 3in, 1.04-million-dot LCD screen ● Price £1,599 (body only) Canon certainly can’t be accused of having a short product cycle with the EOS 7D series. It is five years since the original Canon EOS 7D was launched, but the follow-up is finally here. The Canon EOS 7D Mark II boasts a host of features tailored for wildlife and sports photographers, such as a 10fps shooting speed, a croppedframe sensor and a very advanced autofocusing system. Bundling all this together into a durable, weather-sealed body makes a very exciting prospect for any enthusiast action photographer who cannot justify the expense of sports…

At a glance • Price: £129. Available from shop.the-impossible-project.com • Compatible with iPhone 4, 4S, 5, 5S, 5C and iPod Touch 4th and 5th generation • Free iOS app for photo exposure (download from iTunes App Store) • Rechargeable Li-Ion battery 7.4V/ 2.33VAh(Wh), 300 mAh • Optical system: four-element coated glass lens, wideangle • Focal length 35.6mm • Micro-processor-controlled film-processing unit • Dimensions: collapsed 148mm long x 111mm wide x 62mm tall; expanded 176mm tall • Weight: 460g/16oz (including cover plate) • Uses Impossible instant Color and B&W film While many photographers seem to delight in declaring that film is dead in the water and that hardly anyone is shooting it nowadays, there’s been a resurgence in the popularity of the type of instant film that made Polaroid so successful…

Ivor Matanle looks at Britain’s post-Second World War copy of the Rolleicord TLR LAUNCHED 1952 PRICE AT LAUNCH £58 GUIDE PRICE TODAY £75-£100 for good examples WHEN 1950s post-war import regulations prevented the import of expensive cameras, British manufacturers saw an opportunity and made effective UK versions of popular cameras. Micro Precision Products, then in Kingston, Surrey, produced the Microcord, a near-copy of the Rolleicord III twin-lens reflex, with a top-quality British Ross Xpres f/3.5 lens and, initially, a British Epsilon shutter. The Microcord II had an imported Prontor SVS shutter. Many Microcords were used professionally, and it was a popular camera among advanced amateur photographers. What’s good The MPP Microcord has easy reflex focusing and superb resolution from a top-quality lens. What’s bad The early Epsilon shutter can be…

Fuji up close Fujifilm is set to release 11mm and 16mm macro extension tubes for XF lenses used on its X-series cameras in mid-December. The MCEX-11 and MCEX-16 will each cost £69.99 and are designed to still allow use of AF and aperture control when attached. The mount rings are made of ‘high-grade’ solid metal, according to Fuji. Leica alliance Park Cameras has become the latest retailer to stock Leica cameras. The family-run business that operates stores in London and Burgess Hill, West Sussex, said the move followed calls from customers to stock the German brand. Nikon milestone Nikon has rolled out its 90 millionth Nikkor lens since production began in 1959. Five million Nikkor lenses have been produced in the past ten months alone. The first lens was released…

SPECTACULAR underwater photography from a diving competition has been revealed. Kirsty Andrews’ image of a rare fireworks anemone has won the British and Irish categories of the British Society of Underwater Photographers Diver print contest. Kirsty captured the image (see inset, above) while diving at Loch Duich in the Scottish Highlands, using a Nikon D300. Her image was chosen by a panel of judges following a public vote. Competition sponsor, The Wildlife Trusts, said: ‘An enchanting subject – with bright tentacles that bring about visions of a firework exploding in the clear night sky – the fireworks anemone clearly captured the public’s imagination.’ Kirsty said: ‘Loch Duich has a very muddy, silty bottom – a habitat perfectly suited to these wonderful creatures, but quite challenging for photography. I was really…

SONY is set to launch the Alpha 7 II, billed as the world’s first full-frame camera with five-axis optical image stabilisation. Sony claims the Alpha 7 II offers ‘outstanding image quality in a compact size and light build’. The Sony Alpha 7 II is due out in Europe in January 2015. A UK price has yet to be announced. The 24.3-million-pixel model carries an Exmor CMOS imaging sensor and aims to provide ‘4.5 steps faster shutter speed of correction for still images’. Features include 117-point focal plane phase-detection AF and an improved algorithm that allows AF to be ’30% faster’ than in previous Sony cameras. ● See next week’s AP for a first look at the Alpha 7 II. For the latest news visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk…

Subterranean London: Cracking the Capital By Bradley L Garrett, Prestel, £22.50, hardback, 160 pages, ISBN 978-3-79134-945-9 WHAT lies beneath the surface of things? It’s a question that fascinates us. The idea that there are hidden worlds just under our feet is an attractive idea. The child in us wants to explore these dark underworlds, meet new cultures and discover secrets that have previously remained hidden. It’s with these notions in mind that we enter Subterranean London. Bradley L Garrett, along with a small team of explorers, guides readers through an array of forbidden zones: forgotten Tube stations; Second World War shelters; government bunkers; transport grids and many more shadowy locations. It’s difficult not to feel uneasy seeing these things. We take the world around us for granted. Little do we…

The new X100T from Fujifilm builds on the hugely successful X100S, offering a number of significant improvements and refinements, reflecting feedback from customers to make the X100T the most complete model yet. The clever advanced hybrid viewfinder that combines both an optical viewfinder with an EVF panel has been overhauled for even better performance. The inclusion of a digital rangefinder (see below)means quicker manual focusing, while both focus peaking and digital split image modes can also be selected. The optical viewfinder also sees real-time parallex correction added to ensure more accurate framing, while the electronic viewfinder sees a reduced display time lag. At a glance 6.3-million-pixel X-Trans CMOS II sensor 23mm (equivalent to 35mm) f/2 lens 3in, 1.04-million-dot LCD screen Advanced hybrid viewfinder with digital rangefinder ISO 100-51,200 (extended) Intelligent…

Round Ten Architecture FOR THE final round of APOY 2014, we’re looking for eye-catching images of exterior architecture, so no images shot in a building’s interior, please. Interesting architecture has been produced throughout many stages of history. It’s just a matter of knowing how best to capture it through your camera lens. This round offers huge scope to create all manner of creative, dynamic shots. From the early morning sun throwing long shadows onto a gargantuan skyscraper, to the delicate interplay of light and shape in a plush grand theatre, the possibilities are endless. While there is nothing wrong with exploring the buildings of towns and cities, don’t forget that architecture takes many forms. For example, a bridge can offer all manner of compositional and framing opportunities. Also remember that…

GER O’HALLORAN has done a fine job of photographing the musician captured in this street portrait. Although the detail in the background might be considered distracting, it does give the photograph a sense of place and context. What I felt it did need, though, was some minor editing to focus attention more on the musician. By doing this, it also enhances the tone and colour contrast to create a new version of the image in which the warm colours of the face and the violon trompette he is playing contrast with the cool background. This photo also allowed me to show the use of the Spot Removal tool. With Photoshop CC, you can now remove blemishes by painting with the tool instead of just clicking, which was previously the only…

GemClassic Camera Case ●£25 ● www.gem-bags.com DESIGNED in the style of a vintage camera case, the Classic Camera Case from Gem is a standout product in the company’s otherwise fairly generic range. Supplied with a matching adjustable shoulder strap, and measuring 155 x 75 x 230mm, there’s enough room to store a small bridge or a CSC with a couple of small additional lenses and a charger. The case is made from a convincing simulated leather material, so it should be suitable for those who have made a lifestyle choice to avoid animal-based products. The thinking behind the creation of this camera bag, according to Gem, is that photographers should have a case that looks appropriate when dressed for pleasant occasions. But it doesn’t just look good – its soft…

Top SD cards • Price varies • www.lexar.com • www.kingston.com/en • www.sanclisk.co.uk • www.eyefi.com Some superb memory cards were released in 2014, pushing the boundaries of speed, capacity and functionality. Lexar Professional and SanDisk Extreme Pro card ranges were rated as among the fastest and most reliable in AP tests over the past year and are ideal for capturing high-quality stills and full HD video. Kingston’s U3 SD card is designed specifically to handle ultra-highdefinition or 4K video. The Eye-Fi card seamlessly adds wireless image-transferring capabilities to any SD-cardcompatible camera. When paired to a compatible Android or iOS device, the Eye-Fi card sends the pictures swiftly and makes it easy to share what you’ve captured using a social media interface that you’re already familiar with. National Geographic A2560 Medium Satchel,…

Eye-Fi support Eye-Fi SD cards are supported by the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, allowing wireless file transfer from an SD card to a smartphone or tablet. Auto ISO Auto ISO has been dramatically improved, and can be biased towards using faster or slower shutter speeds, while taking focal length into account. New shutter A new shutter mechanism has gone into the camera and it is now rated at 200,000 cycles. USB 3.0 port A USB 3.0 port is housed under the rubber flap, allowing much faster file transfer from camera to computer over the standard USB 2.0 port. Dual card slots Both CF and SD cards slots are featured on the 7D Mark II, and a different file type can be written to each.…

• EXPERT ADVICE • TIPS • TRICKS • HACKS • KNOW-HOW Choice of raw converter Q Having finally decided to attempt the switch from film to digital imaging, I have bought a Nikon D610. As this doesn’t seem to have raw-conversion software, what other options do I have? Roger Gamble A The Nikon D610 should have a copy of the new ViewNX 2 software included in the box if it was bought brand new. If it’s not there, you can download it from nikonimglib.com/nvnx/index_en_nsa.html. However, this software can be sluggish and dif. cult to use. I recommend using Adobe Camera Raw, which has supported D610 raw files since the release of version 8.3. This comes as part of Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. Callum McInerney-Riley Battery power Q I’m very…

One of the less heralded specification updates of the Nikon D810 over its D800 predecessor was a reduction of the base ISO from 100 to 64. All other things being equal (and it seems that, in this case, the sensor used is the same, so all things should be equal), that reduction of roughly 2⁄3 stop in ISO will allow the camera to gather 2⁄3 stop more light, and thus provide a smoother, less noisy image. The likelihood is that Nikon has made this move because it sees the D810, at least in part, being in competition with medium-format models. For example, the Pentax 645Z has a sensor of 33 x 44mm and a lowest ISO setting of 100. That sensor has 1.78x the area of the D810’s and can…