Innholdsfortegnelse for 11-jul-15 i Amateur Photographer

If a picture says a thousand words, then photographers have the ability to convey a lot of messages in a single shot. Despite the fact that we’re bombarded with images on a daily basis, the right photo still has the ability to stop us in our tracks – to make us laugh, cry or reflect. In this issue we show you some images from this year’s Environmental Photographer of The Year competition (pages 30-33). The photographs portray different environments or environmental issues, and almost every photo in this year’s finalists made me stop and study it. After reading the captions I’ve learnt a few things I didn’t know before – the photographers have all conveyed their messages well. The images will be on show at the Royal Geographical Society in…

Last month saw the launch of the first European Games, otherwise known as Baku 2015. The games – held in Azerbaijan and featuring 6,000 athletes from 50 countries competing in 50 sports – are an international multi-sporting event for athletes representing the National Olympics Committee of Europe. The event courted controversy with several news outfits reporting that they had been barred from entering fixtures. However, many journalists did gain access and here we see an image showing the beautiful display of Julia Echeberria Esquivel and Irene Toledano Carmelo of Spain competing in the Synchronised Swimming Duets Free Routine Final on day three of the games. Words & numbers It is part of the photographer’s job to see more intensely than most people do. He must have and keep in him…

LG’s recently launched G4 flagship smartphone is a serious alternative to the more established competition from Apple and Samsung When Samsung launched its Galaxy S6 back in March, I was convinced it was going to be the best camera smartphone of 2015. Since then, the S6 has grabbed first place in the DxOMark Mobile rankings, confirming that in terms of image quality the Samsung is tough to beat. However, in the smartphone sector things are moving fast. LG, Korea’s number-two consumer electronics maker, has launched its new flagship smartphone, the G4, making me wonder if my judgement was premature. Like the Galaxy S6, the G4 uses a 16MP, 1/2.6in CMOS sensor that is slightly larger than the 1/3in chips found in Apple’s iPhones and many other smartphones, but at f/1.8…

Email amateurphotographer@timeinc.comand include your full postal address Write to Inbox, Amateur Photographer, Time Inc. (UK), Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU LETTER OF THE WEEK It’s in the bag Billingham, ONA, Domke and Think Tank are all very good camera bags, so the internet and numerous online surveys reliably inform me. Yet for the majority of amateur photographers like myself, these are the Leicas of the camera-bag world and realistically such an outlay is not justifiable or simply not financially possible. So I’d like to give a shout out to the ‘budget’ end of the market. For well over a year now I’ve owned, and used every day, a messenger-style canvas bag branded with the name Courser (sometimes advertised as Koolertron). Yes, the canvas has faded in…

The Environmental Photographer of the Year competition has always been a hotbed of incredible and, at times, almost overwhelming images, and here we look at some of the shortlisted photos. The 111 images were chosen from more than 10,000 entries by amateur and professional photographers of all ages from 60 countries. The overall winner of the £5,000 award, which was set up in 2007 by the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), has just been announced (see page 6). This year the grand prize went to Uttam Kamati for his inspiring image ‘Watering Melon’. To see the rest of the winners visit www.epoty.org Rizalde Cayanan ‘Sandstorm in the city’, Kuwait, 2011 There’s something near-apocalyptic about this incredible scene captured in Kuwait back in 2011. Kuwait is a city…

Lowepro Pro Runner RL x450 AW II • £296 • www.lowepro.co.uk Is Lowepro’s roller-friendly Pro Runner the best bag for photographers on the move? Michael Topham puts it to the test At a glance • Switches from a roller bag to a backpack and vice versa • Dedicated space for a laptop, tablet and graphics tablet • Sturdy urethane wheels for smooth rolling transportation THE NEW Lowepro Pro Runner RL x450 AW II’s versatile design, which allows you to carry it as a backpack or roll it beside you, is perfectly suited to travelling. With contoured shoulder straps, padding on the back panel and a removable waist belt, it’s as comfortable to carry on your back as it is to pull along. Inside, there’s a host of internal dividers to…

WITH the same sensor and processor as other recent Fujifilm cameras such as the X-T1, the X-T10 gives much the same image quality. This isn’t a bad thing, as these cameras are capable of giving very fine results, with particularly attractive JPEG colour output. High ISO images tend to look very good too, with excellent noise suppression and colour retention. But infuriatingly, Fujifilm limits raw format recording to ISO 200-6,400, so you’re stuck with the in-camera processing at higher sensitivities. The unusual colour filter array also means that X-Trans image files tend to look different to those from conventional Bayer cameras, when viewed at the pixel level. Not all raw converters can handle the raw files, either, although Adobe Camera Raw and Capture One can both produce good results. Dynamic…

YOU may have seen my name on your lens, but usually I am an anonymous design feature. I am an APO or apochromatic lens. A fundamental problemwith camera optics is that the light that forms the image on the film or sensor comprises a range of wavelengths. Uncorrected, using a simple lens design, these different wavelengths focus at slightly different distances relative to the film or sensor plane. This results in soft images and chromatic aberrations where details in the image break up into rainbow colours. This is called colour fringing. Lens designers have fought to keep this property of light under control for many years and I am one of the more sophisticated solutions. The simpler solution is to combine two lens elements into a group that accurately focuses…

Boris Eldagsen deliberately leaves his ‘Poems’ open to interpretation. They are all very different, as you can see if you visit www.eldagsen.com. They seem to communicate, but it is not always clear exactly what they communicate. We don’t all get the samemessage from a poem, so why should we all get the samemessage from a picture? Think of Blake’s Jerusalem, written as a savage attack onmaterialismand industrialisation. Then, once set to stirring music, it became a song of hope: England’s second, unofficial national anthem. By the same token, what do you (I) get from ‘Poem #91’? Hope? Despair? Peace? Loneliness? Transience? Timelessness? Whatmusic (or what texture of silence) do you hear in your head? After we die, Yama, Lord of Death, is reputed to hold up his mirror to reflect…

15mm 1:1 macro ‘shift’ lens The new Laowa 15mm f/4 macro lens boasts a 110° angle of view on full-frame cameras, plus 1:1 magnification and a shift capability (on APS-C cameras). Built from 12 elements in nine groups, and using 14 aperture blades, the £419 macro lens also features an extra-low dispersion element and multi-layer ‘low-reflective’ coating to reduce flare. Available in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony Alpha and Pentax K mounts, it’ll also be compatible with Sony E cameras via a converter. The lens is due out ‘mid to end of July’. Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head Italian tripod maker Manfrotto has announced the launch of the XPRO Ball Head. Designed for use on 190 and 055 tripods, the XPRO Ball Head features a triple-locking system to help ensure camera…

Committed to defending your photographic rights! AP is heading a campaign against controversial European plans to restrict photography of public buildings which threaten to censor millions of amateur and professional photos. There are growing fears that proposed changes to European copyright law will require photographers to obtain permission from architects – and possibly pay them royalties – before publishing pictures of tourist attractions such as the London Eye and the Shard, even just on Facebook. Similar restrictions on commercial images are already in force in some European countries but, so far, not in the UK where the so-called ‘Freedom of Panorama’ applies. AP has backed an open letter, drawn up by Wikipedia operator Wikimedia and published in The Times, which has been signed by organisations including the Bureau of Freelance…

Harry Gruyaert Thames & Hudson, £40, hardback, 144 pages, ISBN 9-780-50054-448-8 MAGNUM has certainly been delivering the goods recently. Not content with a captivating recent volume about Eve Arnold (AP18 April) and a major exhibition of Philip Jones Griffiths (see pages 22-26) we now have a lavish tome dedicated to the European master of colour and light, Harry Gruyaert. This is the first English-language monograph of Gruyaert’s work and it is a more than generous introduction to the man’s work. Harry’s busy eye has travelled the length and breadth of the world, and the photographer has taken great pleasure in drawing out the striking interplay of primary colours and gorgeous light. There are some absolute gems contained within this book, opening with Gruyaert’s eerie1972 series ‘TV Shots’ and ending with…

With the rise of citizen journalism and social media, people have greater exposure to pictures of conflict than ever before. There are fears from some that, perhaps, the increasingly graphic nature of these images has desensitised us to what we are seeing. At the time that Philip Jones Griffiths’ Vietnam photographs were taken, however, they were some of the first to show the public the full extent of the horrors of war. What strikes you now, looking back through the archives, with our more jaded eyes, is how shocking and moving they remain. It’s no wonder that Griffiths’ first book on Vietnam, VietnamInc, published in 1971, is regarded as one of the pivotal photojournalism books on the period. His natural instinct for communicating emotion and meaning shines through every frame:…

Gary Turner, West Yorkshire Landscapes and architecture feature most prominently in Gary’s photographs. ‘Working in black & white really allows the details to be captured,’ says Gary. ‘Removing the distraction of colour allows me to place the emphasis on the lines, shapes and details in nature and in man-made structures.’ Gary was recently introduced to street photography, which he sees as a fantastic opportunity to capture new images. He would also like to introduce a little more colour into his portfolio. Under the Humber 1 Gary has produced perfect symmetry in this near-abstract representation Canon EOS 7D, 10-20mm, 1/60sec at f/8, ISO 100 Roker Rough Seas 2 This scene was a perfect opportunity to experiment with a 10-stop ND filter Canon EOS 7D, 10-20mm, 25secs at f/8, ISO 100, tripod,…

Andy Westlake tests Fujifilm’sX-T10, which promises the best bits of thepopularX-T1 at a lower price At a glance • 16.3-million-pixel, APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor • ISO 200-6,400 (raw), 100-51,200 (JPEG) • 2.36-million-dot OLED viewfinder • 3in, 920,000-dot tilting LCD • New 77-area AF system • 8fps continuous shooting • £499 body only For and against + Traditional control dials make shooting a pleasure + Excellent viewfinder + Compact, portable body design – Screen isn’t touch-sensitive – Limited ISO range in raw – Sub-par video quality Where in the range Fujifilm X-T1 Price £880 body only The superb 16.3MP X-T1 offers excellent image quality in a rugged weathersealed body with a huge array of control dials Fujifilm X-A2 Price £350 with 16-50mm lens Fujifilm’s entry-level CSC uses a 16.3MP Bayer-type…

Ask any Canon user what they think Canon’s most popular lenses are, and I can guarantee that most will mention the classic EF 50mm f/1.8. Not only is it the most affordable lens in the EF line-up, it’s also well matched to a wide variety of photographic genres. Originally launched to replace the older EF 50mm f/1.8 in1990, the EF 50mm f/1.8 II has built up a good reputation for being an extremely compact and inexpensive fixedfocal-length standard lens. Not only does it give a very natural looking perspective to images when used on a full-frame DSLR, its large aperture also allows users to easily separate a subject from its surroundings by creating a shallow depth of field. With the new EF 50mm f/1.8 STM, Canon has looked to improve…

LAUNCHED October 2002 PRICE £300 GUIDE PRICE TODAY £75 PANASONIC had only launched its Lumix consumer stills camera brand a couple of years earlier, but it was the DMC-FZ1that made everyone take notice. The FZ1would prove to be the first in a long line of impressive Lumix bridge cameras. What’s good The FZ1 was, for its time, compact and distinctive, combining retro design cues with modern looks. Its12x 35-420mm Leica-branded DC Vario Elmarit zoom lens boasted a constant aperture of f/2.8 throughout the zoom range, plus optical image stabilisation and excellent lens performance. With its lithium-ion rechargeable battery, power stamina wasn’t the major issue as it was with rival models’ use of AA batteries. The FZ1is a landmark camera and deserves to be a collector’s piece as it is quite…

All professional events photographers have to start some here. No one wakes up one day and instantly becomes an in-demand wedding photographer – it takes practice. Agreatway to gain experience is to photograph an event for family or friends, whether it’s a birthday bash, an engagement party or christening. As long as it’s an occasion where everyone is together and there’s something happening throughout, you’ll be able to tell a story with a series of pictures. However, we’d advise against putting yourself forward as the ‘official’ photographer you’ll likely add unnecessary pressure to taking photos and may end up with compromised results. Just stay back, enjoy yourself and take the best photographs you can. 1 Set your camera’s clock right. If you’re going to shoot with multiple cameras or plan…

Wimbledon The tournament reaches its apex this weekend, with the singles finals on Saturday and Sunday. Even if you haven’t got tickets for the main event there’s plenty of atmosphere to soak up and photograph, on the hill and beyond. Until 12 July, www.wimbledon.com Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society photography competition Photographers are encouraged to capture all things sea-related for the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society’s competition. Deadline 7 August, www.shipwreckedmariners.org.uk At Home with Vanley Burke Known as the ‘Godfather of Black British photography’, Vanley Burke has opened the contents of his Birmingham flat to Ikon Gallery. His collection of prints and other objects related to black culture in Britain are sure to be fascinating viewing. From 22 July www.ikon-gallery.org LIVERPOOL Open 1 Six photographers explore the theme of social portraiture in Open Eye…

Antonio Olmos Antonio Zazueta Olmos is a Mexican photojournalist who has worked extensively in the Americas, the Middle East and Africa covering issues of human rights, conflict and the environment. He is a regular contributor to The Guardian and The Observer, and his first book, The Landscape of Murder, was published by Dewi Lewis in 2013. www.antonioolmos.com 1 Most of your photographs will suck I always say that taking photographs is like taking notes – you take a lot of them in the hope you will make one that’s amazing. A lot of people new to photography are disappointed by how many bad pictures they take. Well here is a little secret: everyone, even pros, take lots of bad images. Like a writer with piles of notes, the photographer must…

About the Atlantic puffin The distinctive puffin, with its comical colouring, is a firm favourite with both photographers and bird lovers • Location Breeding colonies are found in North Yorkshire, Northumberland and Wales, plus the Isles of May, Shetland and Orkney. • Size Around 28-30cm (11-12in) tall, with the male generally being slightly larger than the female • Nest Puffins nest in burrows underground • Diet Fish, with a particular taste for sand eels • Population There are an estimated 590,000 breeding pairs. Richard Peters Richard Peters is a UK-based wildlife photographer whose passion stems from watching natural history documentaries in his youth. Now his photographs and articles are published regularly, and his images have won numerous awards. www.richardpeters.co.uk PUFFINS are particularly enjoyable birds to spend time with. Aside from…

Distant sunset Alex Harford Canon PowerShot G1 X, 15.1 mm, 1/60sec at f/4, ISO 1000 I’M REALLY not sure what we’re looking at here, but I’m guessing it’s some sort of circular roomwith a roof in need of repair, and a view over a valley or the sea. It reminds me of a Greek beach café that’s seen better days. Either way, what my eyes see are two competing elements that make my brain hurt as it tries to determine whether we should take in the view first or attempt to work out what those patches of blue are in the upper half of the frame. As soon as I settle to look at the blue bits the sunset calls to me, and when I drawmy attention towards that dusky…

Flash release A lever next to the drive-mode dial releases the built-in pop-up flash. Cable release The shutter button has a thread for an old-fashioned screw-in mechanical cable release. Hotshoe This is compatible with Fujifilm’s external flash units and third-party alternatives. Mode switch When set to auto, the mode switch gives access to the simple-to-use auto and subject-orientated scene modes. Connectors A spring door hides the Micro HDMI, Micro USB and 2.5mm stereo mic sockets. The Micro USB port also takes Fujifilm’s RR-90 remote release, and the 2.5mm socket accepts Canon and Pentax-compatible remotes. Battery The NP-W125 battery is shared with other X-system cameras, and gives around 350 shots per charge.…

Email your questions to: apanswers@timeinc.com, Twitter @AP_Magazine and #AskAP, or Facebook. Orwrite to Technical Support, Amateur Photographer Magazine, Time Inc. (UK), Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU • EXPERT ADVICE • TIPS • TRICKS • HACKS • KNOW-HOW ISO speeds QA lot of modern DSLRs push the boundaries of ISO settings, with speeds that would boggle the minds of film users, such as ISO 25,600. However, is this at the expense of slower speeds like 200 and100? Back in the day when the fastest films speeds were ISO1,000 for colour and perhaps ISO1,600 for black & white, we used to have much slower speeds, like ISO 64, ISO 50 and even ISO 25. I even recall using a red filter on a camera with ISO 50 in…

3 Legged Thing Brian 1 I love its lightness, and ease and speed of use as I can drop it to full height and lock it in seconds. It also folds to a very compact size. I’ve used it with a Pentax K-3 and even a Pentax 645Z medium-format camera. IR-converted Canon EOS 7D 2 The Canon EOS 7D was the DSLR I was using prior to the Pentax K-3. After upgrading I decided to use it more creatively instead of selling. Protech Photographic in East Sussex has just converted it to a 720nm internal filter. Pentax K-3 3 This is one of the best APS-C DSLRs around and ideal for my shoots. Tough and durable, with weather sealing, it gives fantastic results and noiseless gradations from the midtones into…