Innholdsfortegnelse for 11-Feb-2017 i Amateur Photographer

Last issue we discussed how noise can be the bane of the modern photographer’s life, along with sharpness (or the lack of it). Hopefully few readers will suffer from hopelessly blurred shots every time, but most photographers will be disappointed by slightly ‘soft’ results at some point in their career. Maybe the shutter speed wasn’t fast enough, or the AF point was slightly off, or you forgot to lock up the mirror when shooting a landscape. The reasons for softness can be many and varied, which is why we asked some top pros to share their best tips for razor-sharp shots, starting on page 12. Other highlights of this packed issue include an exclusive interview with the legendary Joel Meyerowitz and tips and insights from the International Garden Photographer of…

JESSOPS has launched a new photography experience for 2017. Joining the Jessops Academy's roster of photographic breaks, the three-day course will see students retreat to the Lake District to make the most of its vast horizons, impressive lakes and woodlands. A member of the Jessops award-winning Academy Training Team will lead the course. All trainers are experienced photographers in their own right, and have a broad knowledge of all cameras. Students will benefit from having a basic photography knowledge of shutter speeds, aperture and ISO. However, the Jessops Academy will be offering tailored advice for all abilities during the trip. The course runs from 31 October to 2 November. It costs £600 and includes transport, meals and accommodation. Visit www.jessops.com.…

Have you ever wondered why all newspapers and websites are beginning to look the same? Or that they don't seem as stylish as they used to? That they're devoid of the class of their classic forbears regardless of pedigree? And that those images seem to have lost their punch? All in all they seem lacklustre and lack a certain je ne sais quoi. It's because they have been struck down with the curse of ‘good enough'. Indulge me while I explain. The media is evolving, driven by a range of factors. However, one dominates. It's a bit like modern car design. Modern cars tend to look the same as they evolve. They are all taking roughly the same path with the ultimate destination being the most efficient design, sharing such…

APOY When submitting an image for a competition such as Amateur Photographer of the Year, are there minimum criteria that need to be met? How much, if any, enhancing is acceptable? Is there a minimum/maximum size JPEGs have to be, and does the type of camera matter – can a compact compete with a DSLR? Stephen Bolt, Taunton Thankfully, the judging panel consists of individuals with a variety of aesthetic tastes, meaning that every image gets a look in. The camera is, to be blunt, totally irrelevant. A winning image could be taken on a fancy DSLR, an iPhone or even a toy plastic camera. The judges will look for an image that shows imagination, both in terms of the creative nature of the image and the way in which…

Ever since Canon introduced video on DSLRs millions of enthusiasts have discovered the joy of video making, while pros have realised that there is money to be made from the red button. But video comes with its own rules, visual language, gear and terminology that have to be learned. AP's videography website, The Video Mode, has again teamed up with Canon, Tiffen and Rotolight to present two exciting workshops at the iconic Pinewood Studios, home of the British film industry, James Bond and, currently, Star Wars. Aimed at DSLR and mirrorless camera users of any brand, as well as video camera owners, both workshops are all-day events where you'll get the chance to play with all the latest Canon, Tiffen and Rotolight kit, talk to their experts and enjoy hands-on…

Matt Golowczynski Matt Golowczynski is a London-based journalist and photographer. A former technical editor for What Digital Camera, he has contributed to a range of magazines over the past 10 years and graduated from the University of Westminster with a BSc in Photography and Digital Imaging. Visit www.mattgolowczynski.com. Many people have adopted Fujifilm's X-series models as their primary cameras. It might be the retro aesthetics or the high-quality sensors that attract them, but for many it's the more manual approach to operation that appeals. It's reasonable, therefore, to assume that the average X-series user customises their camera so that it operates in a way that better fits their shooting. The most obvious way to do this is to programme function buttons to perform specific tasks of the user's choosing, but…

Oscar Dewhurst Oscar Dewhurst is an award-winning wildlife photographer from London currently studying at Durham University. Most of his pictures are taken around his home city, but he has also spent time in other locations including the Peruvian rainforest. www.oscardewhurst.com CORMORANTS are widespread, large, and often show surprising tolerance to humans, making them good photographic subjects. At this time of the year, adult birds show white feathering on their heads, making them particularly photogenic. Habitat During the winter, cormorants can be found inland at large bodies of water including lakes, reservoirs and wetlands, perched conspicuously on branches or other objects with their wings outstretched to dry them. They feed exclusively on fish, which they catch by diving beneath the surface of the water. To stand the best chance of photographing…

When does a picture become history? As soon as it is taken, of course, but some pictures are more immediately historical than others, regardless of precisely when they were taken. Nina Leen (1909-1995) shot this in 1943 at the New York Foundling Hospital. A nun, a Sister of Charity, carries a new arrival. The mood is Victorian, but after all, the Queen-Empress had died little more than four decades earlier. Everything in the picture is, or could be, from the 19th century: the building, the decor, the lighting, the nun’s habit. The very language has changed since 1943: the word ‘foundling’ has all but disappeared. So have social mores. Religion plays a far smaller part in most people’s lives than it once did, though as late as 1965 a friend…

THIS image was uploaded to our Twitter feed using the hashtag #appicoftheweek. It was taken by AP reader Chris Dale in historic Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, and is a fabulous demonstration of just what these cold winter months have to offer photographers. ‘This image was taken on an early, and very cold, walk around Sherwood Forest just after Christmas,' says Chris. ‘The frost really picked out the thinner branches of this sapling in a little clearing surrounded by bracken. With the help of a long lens and wider aperture I was able to make it stand out from the birches behind.' Win! Each week we choose our favourite picture on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Twitter or the reader gallery using #appicoftheweek. PermaJet proudly supports the online picture of the week winner, who…

Last year Fujifilm teased us with the development announcement of the GFX 50S – the first camera in an all-new medium-format mirrorless system the manufacturer is calling its GFX-series. Recently we had an opportunity to shoot with a pre-production sample to find out what its 51.4-million-pixel CMOS sensor is capable of. As this image, taken in the beautiful setting of Althorp House, shows the GFX 50S promises remarkable medium-format quality destined to appeal to those in the professional field. In the words of professional photographer, Wayne Johns, ‘The GFX 50S brings medium format forward to the modern day where it has been long in need of catching up.' See www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/GFX50S Words & numbers “When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear” Alfred…

Published by Phaidon Price £39.95 192 pages hardback ISBN 978-0-714872-7-442 The art scene of the1960s is inextricably connected to the cool detachment of Andy Warhol's vast Pop Art output and the strange circus he built around his ego. It's difficult not to see Warhol as the catalyst that began to tip art over into the realms of commercialism and big money. How you feel about that depends entirely in how you feel about modern art. Many would argue that Warhol's art was a deliberately shallow attempt to create a form of satire on the burgeoning consumerist society. Others perhaps would see it as just a cynical cash-grab. Regardless, Warhol's world is considered vital in the history of art and the mystique he built around himself with his monosyllabic answers to…

Twitter Stephen Dinsdale @SPDPhotography The lone tree is a popular photographic trope, so it’s always good to see a fresh take. Here we see Stephen Dinsdale’s contribution, a textured image taken in the Yorkshire Dales. Join the conversation @AP_Magazine Facebook Jeff Ashton Jeff has shot this striking image of one of the becks running into Haweswater Reservoir in the Lake District. The central boulder provides a perfect point of focus for us to tether our eye to in this visually sumptuous image. Like us at www.facebook.com/amateurphotographermagazine Instagram usalptoy @usalptoy The US arm of the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition has highlighted this gorgeous image by James Watts, who travelled to Sparks Lake in Oregon. It makes you want to jump on a plane and see it for yourself.…

A knighthood for Don McCullin was long overdue. His extraordinary dedication in highlighting the grim reality of war and his courage amid the dangers he faced, is exemplary. His images remain as spellbinding as ever. But when will we see the once enfant terrible of photography David Bailey rewarded with the same honour? With all due respect to McCullin, Bailey's name is synonymous with photography no matter who you talk to. I've heard unfounded rumours that Bailey had already turned down a knighthood. I hope they're untrue, because the world of photography owes him so much. He often lives up to his grumpy image, yet can be wonderfully self-deprecating at the same time. I feel to further deny him the ultimate honour would be grossly unjust. Mick Bidewell, Newcastle upon…

Wideangle diffuser Pulls out and folds down in front of the flash to give ultra-wideangle coverage (to 12mm equivalent). Hotshoe lock A rotating collar around the unit’s foot holds it firmly in place on the compact camera. LED video light Adjustable in six steps, with a maximum output of 100 lux at 1m. Micro-USB socket Allows the firmware to be updated for compatibility with future cameras. • £239 • www.intro2020.co.uk At a glance • Bounce-and-swivel head • 24-105mm equivalent zoom coverage • Uses 4 AA batteries SMALL yet fully featured mirrorless cameras have become increasingly common recently, and the mecablitz M400 is German flash maker Metz's first unit specifically designed to complement them. It's just 9cm tall, but still packs a decent punch with a guide number of 40m at…

Battery The DMW-BLH7E battery is rated for just 260 shots and charges via the camera’s USB port Connectors Micro USB and HDMI sockets allow connection to a computer or TV AF illuminator A blindingly bright orange assist lamp light aids autofocus in dim conditions. Thankfully, the LX15 doesn’t often need to use it Built-in flash A tiny flash unit pops up from the top of the camera that can be held back and aimed upwards for bounce flash. However, there’s no hotshoe or wireless external flash control Aperture ring This is marked from f/1.4-f/11, and clicks at one-third stop increments Top-plate dial This is the only means of changing the shutter speed in shutter priority or manual-exposure modes, without using the touchscreen. However it can be set to control another…

Fujifilm GFX 50S trade-in bonus UK distributor Park Cameras has confirmed it will be officially stocking Fujifilm’s first medium-format digital camera when it is released in early March. The dealer will also be offering up to a £500 bonus on all DSLR/ mirrorless cameras traded in when purchasing Fujifilm’s new GFX 50S. Visit www.parkcameras.com/ fujifilm-gfx-50s. Fotospeed Photographer of the Year Paper brand Fotospeed has announced that it will be choosing a photographer to win £2,000 worth of prizes at this year’s Photography Show, which takes place from 18 to 21 March at Birmingham’s NEC. Prizes include a Canon A2 printer, £500 of inkjet paper and a bespoke day of tutoring with Doug Chinnery. To learn more, visit www.fotospeed.com. New hard shell cases from Novo A new range of Nova Dura…

MALTA'S Darrin Zammit Lupi has beaten more than 10,000 entrants to be crowned the Societies' Photographer of the Year 2016. The competition is being credited as an international success, with entries received from all over the world via 26 monthly categories that include nature, architecture, landscape, sport and monochrome. Each month, a selection of these images is awarded a ‘gold' or ‘highly commended' standard, and these then advance to a master shortlist, where they are reassessed and a final winner is chosen. Lupi was presented with his title at the awards dinner at the Societies' annual convention and trade show in January. He received a Fujifilm X-T2 and lens as part of his prize, as well as accommodation, flights and tickets to the 2017 Wedding and Portrait Photography expo in…

ALWAYS on the hunt for fresh applications for its machine-learning capabilities, Google has turned its attention to intelligent upsampling – the process of creating a larger, high-quality version of a low-resolution image. According to the tech giant, its Rapid and Accurate Image Super-Resolution (RAISR) technique incorporates machine learning to produce image-upscaling results that are ‘comparable to or better than the currently available super-resolution methods'. Not only that, but it claims RAISR does so between 10 and 100 times faster – meaning that it can be run on a mobile device in real time. It also claims the system can therefore reduce bandwidth use by up to 75% per image upscaled – saving on image-hosting costs. Though only rolled out on the Android version of its Google+ social-media platform so far,…

Ross Hoddinott Ross Hoddinott is one of the UK’s leading outdoor photographers. He is a multi-award winning artist and the author of eight books. Ross has been an Ambassador for Manfrotto and Nikon UK. Visit www.rosshoddinott.co.uk Close-up DEPTH of field grows progressively shallower at higher magnifications, so achieving a sufficient level of focus can be challenging. The zone of focus can be just millimetres when working in close-up. Even the selection of a small aperture, such as f/22, will not generate generous depth of field, so there is no room for error when placing your point of focus. Good technique is essential if you wish to achieve bitingly sharp results. 1 Increase the ISO If you're shooting handheld, increase the ISO speed and switch your image stabilisation ON. The latest…

You answered… A Yes, it’s something I enjoy doing 37% B Yes, but I also make sure that my garden offers natural sources 38% C No, because I’m not sure what to feed them 8% D No, I don’t agree with it 17% What you said ‘I feed all year. The local farmer did a lot of damage years ago and resources have been lost.’ ‘No. I feed them because they need it. It is more interesting to photograph birds away from feeders.’ ‘I don’t normally photograph the birds in the garden, but we recently had a heron come to call. It stood next to a metallic heron sculpture by the pond, and I managed a few shots before it flew off. Magical!’ ‘I enjoy nature photography, but not bird…

Chris Davis, Woking Chris has worked for nearly 20 years in the advertising industry as a CGI artist. As part of his work he bought himself a Canon DSLR. He admits it was only brought out of the cupboard for special occasions. It wasn't until 2012 and a family holiday that he began to discover the real potential of photography. From then on he was hooked. He's a huge fan of the outdoors, particularly mountains, and this year hopes to increase his knowledge and technical ability while taking images. www.chrisdavis-photography.com 1 Fire & Ice Chris has captured the warm sun through the ice filtering off to cool tones in the foreground. The spread of ocean is a real bonus Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 17-40mm, 1/2sec at f/16, ISO 100…

• £59.99 • www.leefco.com IF YOU have started shooting 4K video, or raw images with an iPhone, you may well have started running out of space on your device. The Leef iBridge 3 can offer additional storage, without having to spend a premium on a higher capacity phone. We tested the 32GB version, but a smaller 16GB, and larger 64GB and 128GB versions are also available, ranging in price from £44.99 to £129.99. Effectively the iBridge 3 is a memory stick with a 180° curve. On one end of the device is a Lightning connection that plugs in to your iPhone or iPad, and at the other is a USB 3.0 socket. Once connected a prompt is displayed to download the Leef iBridge 3 app. When installed the app allows…

It's fair to say that the 20.1-million-pixel sensor used in the LX15 is pretty much a known quantity, and the camera delivers exactly the results we've come to expect. At ISO 125 it can deliver plenty of detail, just so long as the lens is stopped down to its optimum setting. Image quality is pretty good all the way up to ISO 1600, although fine detail tends to get smeared away. However, it's important to keep an eye on the camera's metering and get exposures as close to correct as possible, because there's not all that much leeway for adjusting exposure after the event in post-processing. Dynamic range The main message from our Applied Imaging dynamic range tests is that, while the LX15 scores very well at low ISO, the…

Lightroom and Photoshop file size anomalies Q I noticed that if I exported an image as a JPEG from both Lightroom and Photoshop, the Photoshop export was always a bigger file, even though physical and pixel dimensions were identical. The difference was never much (typically an increase from Photoshop of about 5-7%) and it never happened with TIFF files. Given the two applications share so much of their processing engine, I was curious about this difference and whether there would be any noticeable difference if the two files were printed. The file sizes in question were 15.8MB and 17MB for the JPEGs and 324MB for the TIFFs, with dimensions of 30in x 20in and 6000 x 9000 pixels. Ian Clark A I am not so sure that your suspicion Lightroom…

1 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV This is an incredible camera, and persuaded me to retire my beloved Canon EOS 6D from my main landscape camera to backup status. I require GPS at all times when I travel, but the EOS 5D Mark IV takes the 6D essentials and pushes them into orbit. 2 Canon EOS 6D infrared I really enjoy shooting infrared, and use it across all genres. My camera was converted at ACS (http://advancedcameraservices.co.uk) and has a 665 IR filter, which has more colour than the standard 720nm. With GPS and Wi-Fi, the camera is unbeatable as an infrared camera. 3 Canon 24mm TS-E f/3.5L II This is the most frequently used lens in my kit bag – I’ve used it so much that the shift mechanism had…

‘Every value read from the sensor, regardless of its size, is subject to a level of uncertainty’ Just how much information do your image files contain? At one level, this is a philosophical question that I'm wont to avoid for the purposes of this article in favour of a more conventional data-theoretic approach. In that context, information is often referred to as ‘data plus meaning. As an example, consider that a raw capture will always contain the same amount of data, the number of pixels in the frame times the number of bits in each pixel. Thus, the amount of data produced is fixed. However, not all of that data has meaning. In the rather simplistic manner of engineers (compared to philosophers) we can define ‘meaning' quantitatively as providing one…