Innholdsfortegnelse for 06-jun-15 i Amateur Photographer

When I look back at the key moments in my life that have shaped my outlook and the way that I see the world, one of them would be the day in 1993 that I visited Sebastião Salgado’s epic Workers exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall in London. It was the first time I’d given much thought to the lives of those in the developing world who produce the things I take for granted. Salgado has spent much of his life opening our eyes to uncomfortable truths with his incredible images illustrating the world’s great issues, so it’s fitting that he has just been awarded the Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s Photo London photography fair (see page 5). Salgado has influenced the world not just through his photographs, but…

Over 70 galleries from all regions of the world participated in the first Photo London at Somerset House in May. The event featured a range of photography, from rare historic prints to work by the youngest and most exciting talent in the field. Talks and workshops were in abundance and the event also found time to feature an in-depth Q&A with master photographer Sebastião Salgado. Photo London also awarded Salgado its first Master of Photography Award to honour the work he has produced throughout his incredible career. Brazilian photographer Salgado is also the subject of an acclaimed documentary, The Salt of the Earth, directed by influential German director Wim Wenders. Visit www.photolondon.org for more details about the event. Words&numbers I like tomake people look as good as they’d like to…

Themost interesting things tosee, to do and toshoot thisweek. By Jon Stapley The TFL Forum Photo Competition Think you can get a great shot of London’s public transport? Show your stuff at the TFL Forum Photo Competition. By the time you read this the prizes should be confirmed, so head to the website to have a look. Ongoing, www.thetflforum.co.uk Drawn By Light This is the last month that the Royal Photographic Society’s collection will be on display in Bradford. The show is well worth a visit and includes recent documentary and reportage, plus some of the earliest examples of photography. Until 21 June, www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/ WPOTY on Tour The Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition continues its global tour with a stop at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery that will…

The latest and best books from the world of photography. By Oliver Atwell Caravan: A Great British Love Story by Gareth Iwan Jones, Frances Lincoln Limited, £12.99, paperback, 176 pages, ISBN 978-0-71123-677-6 Grey skies, the smell of rotting leaves and damp grass, tea brewed to the consistency of battery acid, and Travel Scrabble. For some, the combination of these elements is the closest thing to a living hell imaginable; for others, it’s paradise, one that goes hand-in-hand with the caravanning holiday, that most British of pursuits. Photographer Gareth Iwan Jones has travelled across the country documenting the people who spend their holidays in the great outdoors, with their reliable and much-loved caravans in tow. Many of the images feature little nuggets of advice and wisdom from the caravanners, and if…

Email amateurphotographer@timeinc.com and 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 : Selfie Arm silliness As someone totally baffled by the selfie phenomenon, I can’t believe there will be anyone daft enough to buy a Selfie Arm (News, AP 23 May.) Watching people use selfie sticks is bad enough, but one modelled on a human arm and at a whopping $6,200? You’d have to be insane to fall for such guff. American artists Aric Snee and Justin Crowe (no, me neither!) believe that their signatures on the arms permit them to charge such an extortionate price for the signed limited edition Selfie Arm. I suggest these money-grabbers clearly have too much time…

Richard Young is not a paparazzo. We need to get that straight from the start. Perhaps he may have been one once, but he isn’t now. No pest to the stars, he is the friend of celebrity; a photographer who aims to enhance their image, not mock the way they look or publicise their bad behaviour. He is the opposite of the paparazzi, and works for the stars, not against them – a cog in the wheel of the celebrity PR machine. You won’t find Richard hanging around outside restaurants waiting for a celebrity to show their pants as they trip down the steps after one shandy too many – he will have been inside all evening as they pose with their high-profile friends, showing their best side and their…

Can you tell us a little about Christopher Williams’ career? Christopher studied at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in the USA in the late 1970s under the first generation of West Coast conceptual artists. Since 2008, he has been professor of photography at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in Germany. In recent years, Christopher has had more exposure in public institutions in Europe than in the USA. This exhibition, The Production Line of Happiness, is his first retrospective and the Whitechapel Gallery is the only European venue for the event, following presentations at the Art Institute of Chicago and The Museum of Modern Art in New York. What do you think Christopher’s ethos is as an artist? Christopher’s rigorous practice can be placed between the overlapping discourses of art and…

Soft background and foreground AS WE mentioned on the previous page, a shallow depth of field can help to draw a subject out from its surrounding environment and ensure the viewer’s attention is held firmly on the most important aspect of an image. It’s also worth noting that using a shallow depth of field can also work wonders when you spot a subject that is surrounded by a particularly chaotic environment. Getting creative AS WE’VE seen, a shallow depth of field can help us to keep the most important aspects of an image in focus, But there’s no reason not to take a much more creative approach and utilise a shallow focus to create something a little more creative. Throwing the whole image out of focus can add a sense…

Leica’s new M Monochrom (Typ 246) rangefinder is an updated version with a full-frame black&white-only CMOS sensor. Callum McInerney-Riley takes a look At a glance ● Shoots only in monochrome ● 24-million-pixel, full-frame CMOS sensor ● ISO 320-25,600 ● 3in, 921,600-dot fixed LCD ● Leica M mount ● £5,750 body only For and against + Brilliant dynamic range + Leica M-mount has a large range of superb lenses + Basic and traditional photography controls similar to a film camera + Good at high ISO sensitivities - Viewfinder frame lines are only an approximation - Limited to monochrome - Prone to highlight clipping Where in the range Leica M-E Price £4,700 The Leica M-E features the 18-million-pixel CCD sensor that was commonly used in older Leicas. Leica M-P Price £5,230 The…

There’s been a longstanding rivalry between Olympus and Panasonic when it comes to tough compacts. Over the years we’ve seen superb examples from both manufacturers, but let’s not forget that Olympus has the greatest heritage in this sector and was first to pioneer the creation of a virtually indestructible pocket compact with the Stylus 720 SW – back in 2006. The big news with regard to Olympus’s new flagship tough compact, the Stylus Tough TG4, is that it’s the first of its kind to offer the ability to shoot in raw – a feature we’ve been longing a tough compact to offer for quite some time, and one you won’t find on either the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT5 or any other of the four alternatives you’ll find on page 54. The…

Ivor Matanle recalls a camera fromthe 1950s LAUNCHED 1954 NEW PRICE with 50mm f/2.8 Westar £32 17s 6d (AP 28 September 1955) GUIDE PRICE TODAY £20-£40 THE EARLY models in the Braun Paxette range, made by the Braun in Nuremberg, Germany, arrived in Britain in 1950-52 and are easily confused (visit www.camera-wiki.org/wiki/Paxette for more details). The IIM had an uncoupled rangefinder and interchangeable lenses – the camera illustrated has an 85mm f/5.6 Staeble-Telon fitted, so would need a shoe-mounted universal viewfinder for accurate framing. Paxettes were sold with 45mm or 50mm lenses, usually f/2.8, from a range of manufacturers such as Enna, Steinheil, Staeble, Schneider and (occasionally) Carl Zeiss. The interchangeable lenses extended from 35-200mm. Early interchangeable lenses for Paxette were not coupled for the coupled rangefinders of the later…

Close encounter Australian filmmaker Dave Riggs was making a nature documentary when he encountered an unexpected visitor. Riggs and his film crew were in a boat close to the Neptune Islands, near Port Lincoln in South Australia. One crew member was halfway through taking a photo at water level when an enormous great white shark breached the surface of the water. You can see the footage at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d_eU-eho9I#t=10. Olloclip’s new active lens The new Olloclip Active Lens features ‘ultra-wide’ and ‘telephoto’ lenses, designed to attach to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones. Olloclip says the ultra-wide delivers a wider ‘action camera’ view (around 155°), while the telephoto is a 2x optical zoom. The Active Lens, which works on the Apple smartphone’s front and rear-facing cameras, costs £89.99 and…

DISNEY was forced to pull a photo from one of its websites, after being accused of a copyright breach over a now-famous image that went viral during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Karin Markert’s photo of soldiers braving the elements was mistakenly used by the world’s media to report on Hurricane Sandy – sending it viral in the process. In a further twist, the photographer now says her copyright in the image has since been routinely abused online by organisations, including a website run by Disney. Karin’s photo of tomb guards in the rain – which reportedly attracted nearly a billion views inside a week after appearing on Facebook – was taken at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. It was widely shared on Twitter after it was incorrectly labelled as a…

NOT ONE for resting on its laurels, Panasonic has unveiled its latest mid-range CSC – the Lumix G7. Arriving on the back of the Lumix G6, Panasonic appears to be placing the emphasis very much on video and, like the Lumix GH4, the Lumix G7 is capable of 4K video capture, recording 4K video in 3840 x 2160 at 25p (50Hz) or 24p in the MP4 format. More than just a video mode, the Lumix G7’s 4K video functionality brings a great deal to stills photographers by allowing 8-million-pixel images to be extracted straight from a movie clip. To help with this, three 4K photo functions have been introduced to make the process even easier – 4K burst shooting, 4K burst (start/stop) and 4K pre-burst Key features The G7’s 4K…

For those people who like their bed, getting up in what is effectively the middle of the night to catch the dawn light is not an attractive proposition. In the summer months this means getting out, travelling to a public garden and being in position to shoot before the sun rises at around 4.30am. However, sometimes you just have to suffer for your art. Those who have never photographed at this time of day don’t know what they are missing. My dedication to getting the best possible garden shots means that I’m prepared to set my alarm clock regularly at an unearthly hour, or sometimes not even go to bed at all. This is because the early morning is my favourite time to take garden pictures. The quality of light…

Jeremy Walker shares his experience of shooting the northern lights with a packed Nikon School Live audience About Nikon School NIKON SCHOOL offers workshops that cater for photographers of every level of ability, from complete beginners to practising professionals. The Centre of Excellence, situated in Central London, offers a wide range of courses that are suited to individuals wanting to learn more about photography, or those who simply want to expand their creative horizons. The Nikon School workshops are a mix of easy-to-understand theory and hands-on practical assignments that are held in small groups to ensure everyone can benefit from the expert knowledge of the tutors. From understanding your digital SLR and lenses, image editing, HDR montages and location fashion shoots to capturing candid street portraits, making HD video films…

‘I’VE ALWAYS been a Nikon user,’ says Richard. ‘I had a flirtation with a Leica M4 and an M4P, but I’ve never used a Canon camera. I would like a Leica M Monochrom, but they are just too expensive and actually I can get exactly the same effect using my Nikon D4S with the monochrome setting.’ Richard’s first camera was a Nikon FTN with the Photomic head. He started with a 35mm lens and after 18 months bought a 28mm. His next lens was a 24mm wideangle. ‘I needed the wideangle when I started being able to get closer to the people I was photographing, without them running away,’ he says. ‘You know when you’ve made it,’ he jokes, ‘when you can get close enough to shoot with a 24mm.’…

HOW TO ENTER To enter via email, follow the link at the bottom of this page. We need to know where and how you took your image, plus the camera and lens used with the aperture and focal-length details. Remember to include a telephone number and your postal address so we can contact you if you win. To enter by post, send a covering letter with your image, including the information mentioned above, letting us know if you would like your entry returned to you after judging (please enclose an SAE). Entries should be sent to APOY, Amateur Photographer, 9th floor, Time Inc (UK), Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU. Plan your APOY 2015 year Below is a list of this year’s rounds, a synopsis of what…

Submityour images Please see the ‘Send us your pictures’ section on page 3 for details or visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk Adding a gap THE KEY element in Steve Oldfield’s photograph is the relationship between the man on the left and the woman who is peering over sideways. Presumably, she is curious about a headline or photograph in the newspaper the man is reading. Personally, I think the photograph has been cropped too tightly in-camera. Ideally, there needed to be some empty space on the left edge of the photograph. It is not possible for me to elaborate too much on the steps I used to carry out the retouching, but, basically, I created a pen path outline of the man’s sleeve and trousers to create a mask and nudged the coat and…

Andrew Sydenham’s lab tests reveal just how the camera performs Amateur Photographer Our cameras and lenses are tested using the industrystandard Image Engineering IQ-Analyser software. Visit www.image-engineering.de for more details LEICA’S unique monochrome sensor has imaging properties quite unlike conventional Bayer-pattern sensors, and the full extent of its capabilities is revealed in our tests. With every individual sensor pixel providing discrete luminance data for its location in the image, there’s no need for any additional processing such as demosaicing or white balancing to construct the final photograph (beyond gamma correction of the sensor’s linearly-recorded data). The result is superb pixel-level resolution, and an incredibly fine organic noise pattern. With the low noise comes impressive dynamic range at low ISO sensitivities – in fact, they are among some of the highest…

Sharper shooting Q I have an AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED lens, but find that, when in general use, the images are not as vivid as those taken with ‘pro’ lenses. The Sigma 50mm Art promises improved image quality, but lacks weather sealing. As my preferred method of photography is to fix a prime lens for the day, using a carrier bag as a rain cover (so far with no moisture problems), would I get away with this method with the Sigma, or should I be looking at the Nikkor 58mm for more punch? Alternatively, would any of the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 primes offer an improvement on the 60mm? I welcome your suggestions. My camera is a Nikon D800. Clive V Atkinson A Without looking at your images, it’s…

Bob Newman looks at controlling mixed-light sources One of the trickiest photographic arts to master is mixed-light photography. The advent of portable light sources, such as powerful electronic flashes or LED light sources, adds a weapon to the photographer’s arsenal: the ability to control exposure by controlling the light in addition to the shutter and aperture. In many cases, the portable light source is dominant, with the ambient lights effectively being discounted. In this case, the colour balance of the shot can be set up using the colour temperature of the flash or LED light, and results will generally be good. A trickier situation is when the ambient light is not insignificant. In this case, the dominant light source (ambient or portable) will be different for different parts of the…

The world-famous Goodwood Festival of Speed has now become one of the highlights of the summer events calendar in the UK, with some of the world’s greatest and rarest cars entertaining huge crowds as they gather at the historic hill climb in West Sussex. Taking place over three days from 26 June, it’s a must if you’re a car lover, with everything from pre-war Bentleys to modern-day Formula 1 cars driven by the stars of the sport. The Goodwood rally stage is a must, with classic and modern-day rally cars throwing up dust (or mud) as they slalom through the purpose-built course. Tickets start from £51 for adult entry, available from www.grrc.goodwood.com where you’ll also find all the information you need about the events each day. 1Get there early as…

PHOTOGRAPHER Lee Miller’s 36-year friendship with Pablo Picasso – during which she photographed the artist more than1,000 times – is explored in a new exhibition. Titled Lee Miller and Picasso, the exhibition features100 of Miller’s photographs and will be held at Edinburgh’s Scottish National Gallery until 6 September. Miller worked as a photographer during the Second World War. She was also a fashion and celebrity photographer. The New York-born photographer first met Picasso in1937. A gallery spokesman said: ‘Highlights range from intimate snapshots taken on the beaches of the South of France in the late1930s, to memorable images of Picasso’s famous visit to Britain in 1950, when he stayed with Miller and her husband Roland Penrose at their Sussex farm.’ Miller’s son Antony said: ‘My parents’ friendship with Picasso was…

Eleven years ago I became unwell with mental health problems, and it was around this time that I first picked up a digital camera. I was eventually diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). I did not know how important photography would later become in my struggle with BPD. I live in a state of pretty much constant internal chaos, mood instability, destructiveness, impulsiveness and the turmoil, unrest and despair that come with BPD. Photography is a real lifeline and a way of noticing the beauty and magic in life, the simplicity of objects and the complexity of nature. I often hate the pain and suffering that life brings, but simultaneously love the world for its beauty of things to photograph. Photography puts things in perspective; it is a way to…

IF YOU pick a good garden that’s well planted, well structured and has plenty of variety, you’re not going to be short of subject matter. Look for features such as summerhouses or sundials being picked out by the morning light, and watch how the sun falls on different areas of the garden as the sun rises. Here are a few suggestions of what you can look for, plus a couple of ideas to try if the hoped-for sunlight doesn’t materialise. Using water Water features such as fountains look wonderful when they are backlit and the water spray is illuminated against a dark backdrop. In this image, water has also played another role, as the mist in the background comes from water vapour rising off a river that is out of…

Plan ahead The northern lights mostly appear in the north, north-east or northwestern skies, so check out the views in those directions during daylight first, and look for mountain ranges or forests that you can use in your image. Find water Lakes, ponds and rivers will offer something extra to an image. Reflections add to the composition, while longer exposures and the blur and motion of the water will create interest. Avoid light pollution Not only do you want to avoid the amber glow of a town or village, but if possible you also want to avoid aircraft flight paths. Take spare batteries and keep them warm The intense cold, coupled with long exposures and the habit of checking every image on the monitor, will take its toll on battery…

Phil Hall and Andrew Sydenham look to recreate Angus McBean’s surreal portrait of Vivien Leigh The latest instalment in our Classics Revisited series looks at Angus McBean, renowned for his theatrical and inventive photography during the 1930s and ’40s. Born in Newport, South Wales, in 1904, McBean moved to London when he was in his early 20s, where he worked in the antiques department at Liberty. While photography would occupy some of his spare time, he would become an adept mask-maker and enjoyed visits to West End plays. In 1932, after being sacked from the department store, McBean decided that he no longer wanted to be a wage slave, and instead adopted a more bohemian lifestyle. McBean’s masks were gaining notoriety and much admired in London’s social circles, including photographer…

PHOTOGRAPHY IS as much about knowing what to exclude as it is about knowing what to include. Knowledge of how to frame, compose and focus can help you to home in on a subject or, in some cases, a particular aspect of a subject. For this round we want you to bear this in mind when exploring the aperture of the lens, specifically the f-stops that sit at the most open end. So much of the advice on photography revolves around getting every aspect of your image in pin-sharp focus, but there are many occasions when a shallow depth of field can help to make a subject stand out in the frame. This is particularly true of portraiture and wildlife. When a background is thrown out of focus, the subject…

Fig Bags Hanborough ● £305 ● www.figbags.co.uk Andy Westlake tries out a stylish leather hand-made satchel-style camera bag At a glance ● All-leather construction with brass fittings ● Interior dimensions 12 x 24.5 x 30cm ● Holds a DSLR, 3-5 lenses and a 10in tablet ● Available in tan, navy, brown or black WHILE there’s a lot to be said for the protective properties of generic nylon bags, many photographers find themselves looking for something more individual and stylish. Fig Bags is a small English company that aims to satisfy this demand with its range of hand-crafted, all-leather, satchel-style bags. I tested the larger Hanborough, but a smaller Lincoln model is also available for £230 that would be nicely suited to a CSC system. Beautifully crafted from thick leather with…

Compact cameras have been overshadowed by the convenience and practicality of smartphones in recent years, but it’s important to remember that not all smartphones feature a tough, rugged or waterproof design and are not the best cameras to use when you’re faced by a challenging shooting situation. Taking snapshots around the pool, shooting on the beach or using a camera on the slopes during winter presents a high risk of damage and costly repair bills, unless you decide to take a tough compact with you that can shrug off anything that’s likely to break a camera. Here at AP we make every effort to test cameras under the type of conditions and environments with which they’ll see regular use, so with six of the hottest tough compacts arriving at the…

1 AF-S Nikkor 600mm f/4G ED VR This Nikon is not the smallest lens to carry around, but the reach and image quality more than make up for it. It is suitable for picking out distant subjects to compress perspective, or for filling the frame with portraits of smaller subjects. 2 AF-SNikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED Although it doesn’t have Pro status, Nikon’s latest mid-range wideangle offers more than acceptable image quality once stopped down. Along with its acceptable price, compact size and weight, its a great all-round performer. 3 TriggerTrap Mobile Dongle An essential purchase, this flexible shutter-release cable connects your smartphone to your camera and offers a plethora of options – from simple shutter release to a multitude of intervalometer related time-lapse options. 4 Camtraptions PIR sensor Having recently…

RogerHicks considers…‘Moscow,Russia, SovietUnion’, 1978, byGueorgui Pinkhassov Memory is notoriously deceptive. I remembered this coffee pot as not only shiny but also red – presumably because that is a popular colour for coffee pots of this shape where I live in rural France. This led to considerable delays when I was trying to find it again to pass the details on to Rosie Barratt, our wonderful picture researcher, as it was filed under ‘sepia’. One of the reasons I remembered it as red, though, is because red coffee pots are universal. This is without doubt a nostalgic shot, but it is a very accessible sort of nostalgia. We might expect to find this beautiful little still life in a corner of an outbuilding, where the pot had been abandoned as too…