Innholdsfortegnelse for 11-Mar-2017 i Amateur Photographer

Film photography is back with a vengeance, though for a lot of AP readers, it never really went away. Film manufacturers and developers are struggling to cope with demand, Kodak is making the much-loved Ektachrome film again, and your hipster teenager more likely wants to be seen with a classic analogue camera around their neck than the latest digital SLR. So in this issue we celebrate the joys of film photography, helping to make it as easy and cheap as possible for you to get back into it. Read on to discover some film camera bargains, cost-effective darkroom and developing solutions, as well as tips from some of the greatest contemporary film shooters (35mm, medium and large format). If you still want the convenience of digital, there’s a handy guide…

ACCORDING to Berlin-based online portal Copytrack, China recorded the most copyright infringements of digital images in 2016, at around 11%. The company analysed 10,000 randomly selected cases from its database to find the top countries with copyright infringements – with China followed by France and the US. According to its data, the UK comes in at number 29, with 0.75% copyright infringements. ‘Most of our customers are very surprised where we find their images used illegally,' says CEO Marcus Schmitt. ‘Image theft exists everywhere – obviously, there are some countries where the creative property of others is less respected.'…

Published by Hungry Eye Price £50 159 pages hardback ISBN 978-0-9926405-2-1 ★★★ Subtitled Great Britons of Photography Vol.1, this is a collection of interviews with leading documentary and fine-art photographers from these shores, along with a few who have become British by association (such as Canadian Homer Sykes). Asking the questions is Peter Dench, a flamboyant and bibulous documentary photographer who's also a long-standing contributor to Hungry Eye magazine. Dench's interview list reads like a Who's Who of leading contemporary names, and includes Martin Parr, Brian Griffin, Marcus Bleasdale and regular AP contributor, Harry Borden. There are some redoubtable characters in this line-up, but Dench is never one to be easily cowed. The unattributed promo blurb on the back of the book says it all. ‘Dench has done it. His…

You may well have heard of Lomography, the organisation dedicated to experimental and creative photography. The collective abides by 10 Golden Rules including ‘take your camera everywhere you go', ‘try the shot from the hip', and ‘don't think'. It embraces all of the subtle and unusual aesthetic qualities of film photography and tries to push the boundaries with cameras, film and art lenses. We know from experience that photography is becoming increasingly popular with people who want to try something different and learn about the origins of photography itself. Lomography produces a range of cameras, films, lenses and photo accessories, many of which are extremely unusual. Popular items include the Lomo'Instant Wide and Lomo'Instant Automat. Instant photography is currently growing in popularity. The idea of physically holding your photo and…

St Pauls Darkrooms, Bristol Whether you like to print on your own or in a group, St Pauls Darkrooms can accommodate your needs. Facilities include black & white and colour enlargers, and a film development area. stpaulsdarkrooms.wordpress.com. Photofusion Photography Centre, London Photofusion has technicians on-hand to help you hone your printing skills. You can't process your films on site, but the team offers a film processing service. www.photofusion.org. Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow Street Level Photoworks runs exhibitions and education programmes, as well as providing access to a darkroom equipped for black & white processing and developing. www.streetlevelphotoworks.org. The North London Darkroom, Tottenham Hale The North London Darkroom opened to members in 2012. You can produce fibre-based prints up to 20x24in here, and process black & white film too. www.londondarkroom.com. Some…

Why film? What is it about the medium that works so well for you? For me, there’s almost a tradition of film use. I do use digital cameras but I never find them as satisfying or creatively fulfilling as film. Using a 5x4in is partly the reason for this; the use of camera movements is intrinsic to many of the images I’m most pleased with. These manipulations are never obvious to the viewer but they make the composition and plane of focus possible. I also treasure the way the camera inverts the image on the ground glass screen. This makes me work a little harder on composition but also allows me to analyse images in depth, something that is harder to do with the facile DSLR. For me, there is…

Try recreating your favourite film type using Photoshop or Lightroom by making curve and colour adjustments. You don’t always need specialist applications or presets. Remember to save your results. Do some research about the type of film look you’re interested in and keep some copies of what you find, if possible. This way you can try to compare the results. Add a slight matte finish to your images to give them a film look. This can be achieved in post-processing using curves by slightly raising the black point. Try adding some noise to your image during processing to replicate grain. Film dust or scratch textures can be used to help add a touch of authenticity to your photographs. These can often be purchased from various websites.…

Simon Saunders, Durham As you can see from this selection of images, Simon's favourite subjects to shoot are generally anything with water, hills or mountains. He's lucky enough to live in the North East of England and have the hills of County Durham, the coast of Northumberland and the beautiful Lake District on his doorstep. As he admits, it's not hard to get to great locations. In the future he'd like to explore Scotland, Iceland and Finland. To see more visit www.northernskylinephotography.co.uk. 1 Ullswater Boat Here we have an image of visual layers. The heavy blanket of cloud lies above the glassy water which recedes into shallow depths in the foreground Nikon D810,24-120mm, 30secs at f/11, ISO 64, Big Lee Stopper, Lee 0.9 soft grad Filter, tripod, remote release 2…

• £135 • www.fjwestcott.com AT a first glance, when folded, the Apollo Orb is almost identical to a standard black/silver photographic umbrella. Weighing less than 0.5kg and the size of its golfing brethren, it instantly unfolds into a deep-profile octagonal softbox, topped off by attaching the diffusion panel. It's the ease of assembly that really impresses me; I've always hated rushing to construct softboxes on location – struggling to bend fragile glass-fibre poles that never seem to fit where they should. Once the umbrella bracket and speedlite are mounted on a stand, the Orb drops over through a four-way zip opening in the fabric, which closes to help stabilise the structure – and it's really as simple as that. You can use the Orb without the diffusion panel to produce…

Canon lenses on a budget Q I am only just joining the realms of photography as a hobby. I started with a bridge camera and only just treated myself to a new Canon EOS 1300D which came with an 18-55mm kit lens. The first thing I bought was a nifty fifty, which I love, but I would like another couple of lenses or more portable zoom lenses. There's one catch – I'm on a serious budget. I have browsed online and found older lenses for under £100 each. I bagged a Tamron 50-200mm lens for £40, a Canon 35-80mm for £20 and a Canon Speedlite 270 for £35. I know they will not touch the quality you get from £500+ lenses, but for now I'd rather experiment with what I…

‘Even if we could spend hours examining a wall-sized print, much of what we would see would be all but incomprehensible’ When photography was invented, one of the many things at which people marvelled was its indiscriminate capacity for detail: the unimportant was captured as impartially as the important. Ever since, there have been pictures that have exploited this very comprehensiveness. It is impossible to take in all the detail in a picture such as this at a glance, and even if we could dedicate hours to examining a wall-sized print, much of what we see would be all but incomprehensible. We all know about cranes and spillways, turbines and reinforced concrete in general terms, but when we see a dam under construction, with everything in very specific and clearly…

In News (AP 25 February) we reported on the latest optic to join Sony's premium range of G Master lenses – the FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS. With a newly designed 11-blade aperture and optical apodisation element, Sony says it creates the ‘smoothest, deepest, lushest bokeh imaginable'. The new apodisation element is similar to a radial neutral-density filter that gradually increases in density towards the perimeter with a graduated decrease in light transmission. Its effect is that areas both in front and behind the plane of focus transition into uniquely soft bokeh.AP recently had the chance to try out the lens prior to our review sample arriving. This week's Big Picture illustrates the sensational sharpness it's capable of when paired with the Sony Alpha 7R II. Visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/FE100mm Words…

‘In some cases it seems the big name is the only asset left to generate at least some income’ The photographic industry has gone through not one, but two, major changes in the last 20 years. First, there was the transition from film to digital, then more recently, consumers have moved from dedicated cameras to mobile devices for capturing many of their images. Some of the biggest names in the imaging sector have fallen victim to these developments, and lost a lot of their previous significance, along with market share, revenues and profits. In some cases it seems the big name is the only asset left to generate at least some income. Many of the erstwhile big hitters in the imaging world are licensing their brand to anyone who…

Anonymous Women by Patty Carroll Daylight Books, £36.63, 112 pages, hardcover, ISBN: 978-1942084198 WHAT DOES it mean to be a woman within the realm of the home? What objects do we think of when we consider the outdated stereotype of the doting housewife? Photographer Patty Carroll has created a series of images that blur the boundary between portraits and still-life photography. Carroll's models adorn themselves with drapery and a variety of household objects to explore preconceptions of femininity. The images are at times funny, eerie, challenging and, above all else, beautiful. It's a project that works both in its aesthetic and theoretical underpinnings. The Lovings: An Intimate Portrait by Grey Villet Princeton Architectural Press, £16.99, 112 pages, ISBN: 978-1-61689-556-3 JUNE 12, 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of Loving Day, the…

Matt Parry Matt Parry is an award-winning travel photographer and regular contributor to magazines. He recently joined Harman Technology (Ilford Photo) as their marketing manager. Visit www.ilfordphoto.com. Selecting the right film Ilford, Kodak, Fujifilm and countless smaller, independent brands still make film. The beauty of analogue photography is that each one has its own look and characteristics, which makes the choice often one of taste. Consider factors such as exposure latitude (how forgiving of under or over exposure your film is), and versatility of processing. Consult the manufacturer’s data or forums such as the APUG, www.apug.org. Getting films processed There are many colour film processing and developing services on the high street, and most offer an additional scanning service. Black & white film requires a more specialist processing service but…

You answered… A Cover to cover 25% B The majority of the issue 44% C Just certain ‘regulars’ and sections 12% D Only the cover feature or other articles that catch my eye 17% E As long as it takes – I mainly read it for the ads 2% What you said ‘I skim read to start and then go back to the sections that seem interesting.’ ‘I sometimes skip the reviews of very expensive camera bodies and lenses.’ ‘I not only read AP cover to cover, I read it over and over, and keep dipping back into it. I have learned vast amounts from it over the years.’ ‘I read Inbox and Tech Support first, then gradually work my way through the rest of the magazine.’ ‘I read every…

Why have you returned to using 35mm film? I returned to 35mm film more than four years ago after shooting digital for seven years. There was no one reason for me to return to it; it’s a combination of several things that for me makes the whole experience of taking pictures on film more enjoyable. I enjoy the discipline and the ritual of using film, from the moment you take the roll out of its box, until the moment you remove it from the developing tank. It’s quality I want to achieve, not quantity. If I return from a day out in London with three rolls of exposed film, it’s been a good day. When you shoot with film, you try not to take pictures you are never going to…

Sony has done well to cater for most kinds of users with its range of CSCs, but it has set itself apart from competitors by crafting a whole line of full-frame options too. These, together with its popular APS-C based models, mean Sony's overall offering holds appeal for enthusiast and professional users alike. It follows, then, that a good range of control over operation and customisation is possible on these models. This may not be immediately apparent from their less button-heavy design than some other lines, although on investigation the menus reveal a handful of useful features you may want to either enable or adjust in some way. Using the Alpha 7R II as my guide, I've pulled out some of the features you may want to explore if you…

Open in Photoshop I've chosen to convert one of my colour images of an old tram to emulate IIford HP5. First, I open my image in Photoshop and then open Silver Efex Pro 2 from the filters menu. Upon opening, Silver Efex has automatically applied a neutral black & white conversion. Go to the Film section Next I head to the Film section and select Ilford HP5 400 from the drop-down menu. I also switch on the side-by-side comparison, so I can review the image. Immediately I can see the preset has produced a good render of the film with fine grain and more defined texture. Increase the contrast Lastly I reduce the grain per pixel using the interface slider and make an adjustment to the curve to slightly increase…

Edit a scanned image I DON'T have too much information about this picture by Raymond Godley, other than that it was shot in Cairo. The subject is fascinating, and I liked the colours and textures. However, I felt it would be more engaging if photographed with the shop entrance straighter on. The original photo was captured on 35mm slide film and scanned using a Canon CanoScan 8400F scanner. While flatbed scanners can do a reasonable job of scanning slides and negatives, you will still struggle to do your originals justice. In the following steps, I was able to use the Detail panel controls to make the image sharper and reduce some of the scanner artefacts. 1 Crop the image To begin, I went to the Basic panel and clicked the…

Parents wary of sharing photographs To explore the impact ease of sharing has had on everyday photography, online printing company www.cartridgesave. co.uk asked parents how happy they felt sharing photos of their children online. The survey found 83% of respondents reported being distinctly wary of the prospect, while only 17% were fine with it. Lomography revives F2/400 ASA film Several years after rescuing the last batch of 400 ASA film from an Italian manufacturer, Lomography has released a limited quantity of the colour neg emulsion. According to the company, F2/400 features unique tones. Visit shop.lomography.com. Saatchi Gallery teams up with Huawei The Saatchi Gallery has teamed up with mobile phone provider Huawei to present the #SaatchiSelfie competition, which runs until 12 March. The contest is in support of its…

THE VIEWS of photographers are being sought as part of the first ever national poll of the industry. To be launched at the Photography Show in Birmingham on 18 March, the National Photographic Survey 2017 has been developed by Calumet Photographic in a bid to find answers to the questions that photographers want to know about the industry, and to gain product and purchase insights. Jon Warner, MD of Calumet, says of the survey: ‘Photography is both a hobby and profession, which visually records the world around us for the enjoyment of current and future generations. This survey aims to shed some light on to the latest trends and habits of the modern-day photographer.' Photographers can complete the questionnaire online at www.calphoto.co.uk. Those who participate will also be automatically entered…

Twitter ChrisV @chris_dont_surf Chris has offered up a self-portrait here. The black & white conversion, vignetting and smoke are used to great effect. Join the conversation @AP_Magazine Instagram Nick Seaman @nick_seaman_photos Nick has given us a nice perspective of Blakeney Quay in Norfolk, showing us what the Lee Big Stopper can do with some careful framing and attention to the environmental context. Follow us at @amateurphotographermagazine Flickr Geoff France An excellent example of finding a good location and waiting for the right subject to walk into the frame. Submit your photos to apmag.co/flickr…

‘How does that happen?’ asked the iPhone-savvy teenager as he watched his first darkroom print appear through the developer on what he thought was just a white piece of paper. Film often fascinates the pupils I teach at school: digital is no longer new. It has lost the ‘wow’ factor. Countless young photographers know only digital, and in an entertainment age they are encouraged to consume rather than create. What’s more, many older photographers own film cameras with far bigger ‘sensor’ formats than their DSLRs, but they sit in cupboards unused. So what are these photographers missing, and what are the reasons to try, or retry, film? 1 Film choice The range of available film is expanding. Kodak Alaris is shortly to reintroduce Ektachrome slide film, and nothing beats a…

Before I set up a tiny developing station in my bathroom, I didn't feel I could experiment with different kinds of film or push-processing. Failure was too expensive, and it was getting embarrassing trying to explain what I was hoping to achieve to my local film lab. With a desire to cut down on the cost and waste of using film, and excited to get into the chemistry side of it all, I set out to find the minimum I would need to start developing my own photographs. 1 I wasn't impressed by some of the starter packs available - they seemed to come with a load of stuff I didn't need, or could find lying around the house. I started out with a Paterson daylight developing tank, a kitchen…

‘All my prints are toned; for both aesthetic and archival reasons’ Why do you still shoot film? I grew up with film and I’m used to it, but that isn’t exactly why I use it now. Film and analogue prints have a different look. They also require different disciplines, both from acquiring appropriate stocks in advance, right through to the shooting process. Even in my most profligate moments, I am not going to return from a shoot with several thousand shots to edit. Having few exposures to a film concentrates the mind over the finger. This encourages a reflective approach. If I had to identify the real reason why I use film, it’s because I like making prints by hand, so I want to work with negatives rather than pixels.…

Emulating the look of film with a digital camera can be challenging, but there are plenty of options available to recreate the vintage look and feel of classic films like Ilford HP5, Velvia and Kodak Portra. The film look has become very popular with wedding, portrait and street photographers in recent years and can add a cinematic feel to an image delivering strong or soft contrast, deep or subtle colours, and film-like grain. It can also help to deliver emotion and realism. One way of achieving the look is to use a camera with built-in film simulation modes. Fujifilm cameras are a great example as the film profiles they offer have been developed through years of experience. This allows you to change the look and feel of the image without…

Add an anchor point Here I am going to emulate Kodak Portra using Photoshop. I open my image and open a curve adjustment layer. I want a warm tone with good contrast in the shadows and a small boost to the highlights. To do this I adjust the red curve to add an anchor point to lift the highlights. Adjust greens and blues Next I adjust the greens by adding a very slight S curve to add contrast in the green channel. For the blues I use a slight inverse S curve, almost the opposite to the green one. The image is now showing a good likeness to Kodak Portra, and just needs a few final tweaks. Increase contrast Lastly I adjust the RGB curve using an S curve which…

Short centre column The included short column replaces the main column to allow ground-level shooting Leg warmers One fixed foam grip and one removable neoprene wrap make carrying the tripod more comfortable in cold weather Spirit levels Three bubble levels on the quick-release clamp aid with levelling your camera to avoid tilted horizons Weight hook You can hang your camera bag from the sprung, retractable hook for increased stability • £179.99 • www.intro2020.co.uk At a glance • Max height: 159.5cm • Maximum load: 8kg • Weight: 1.65kg THERE was a time when every serious photographer had to use a tripod for shooting in low light. But with most cameras now having excellent high ISO capabilities and effective image stabilisation, they might seem less necessary. So to tempt buyers, manufacturers now…