Innholdsfortegnelse for 13-May-2017 i Amateur Photographer

Street photography is a lot of fun and can yield some interesting images. But it can be hard to keep your work fresh and creative when you’re busy pounding the pavement, and it’s easy to default back to rather predictable arty shadows, motion blur and comedy juxtapositions. So to help keep your street work zinging along, we’ve got some great tips in a feature about a wonderful new street photography book on page 16 – it’s certainly eye-opening stuff. Other highlights of this issue include a guide to the free firmware updates from Fujifilm on page 44 – a really great way to boost your camera performance – and a fascinating look at the mysterious art of ‘folding landscapes’. Eclectic? That’s us... JOIN US ONLINE amateurphotographer. co.uk Facebook.com/Amateur. photographer.magazine flickr.com/groups/…

Harry Gruyaert show Magnum photographer Harry Gruyaert has travelled extensively over the past 30 years photographing Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and America. He was one of the first European photographers to take advantage of the creative potential of colour photography. His work is on show at the Michael Hoppen Gallery. Until 27 June, www.michaelhoppengallery.com Introduction to Photoshop Perhaps you’re coming to Adobe Photoshop for the first time and it seems like a daunting task, or maybe you’re self-taught with bad habits. This workshop, from the RPS, will teach you how to use the tools, concepts and workflows needed to succeed and develop good practice. 21 May, www.rps.org/events Michael Wolf exhibition For more than 20 years photographer Michael Wolf has captured the hyperdensity of Hong…

NIKON has announced a new Travel and Macro Cashback promotion running from 27 April to 4 August 2017. The promotion will be offering up to £130 cashback on selected Nikkor lenses and DSLR cameras. Items must be purchased in one transaction, one claim per person. The cashback amount will vary depending on the purchase and number of purchases made. All claims must be received by 4 September 2017 in order to qualify. Charlotte Kemsley, commercial director at Nikon UK, says, ‘Our Travel and Macro Cashback promotion is the perfect opportunity for budding photographers to step away from their smartphone and capture high-quality images over the summer.'…

You answered… A Yes, once 9% B Yes, more than once 5% C No 75% D I don’t know what crowdfunding is 11% What you said: ‘My eldest son crowdfunded an art/ photography exhibition. It was successful and he realised more than his target.’ ‘I contributed to the resurrection of Film Ferrania. I’m still waiting for my film.’ ‘I’ve often wanted to but have never actually got round to it.’ ‘I voted yes and I think it’s very good idea for concepts that would not get funding otherwise.’ ‘I have seen various campaigns seeking crowdfunding, and consider it a good way of raising money, but have never donated to any of them to date. Maybe I will in the future.’ ‘I’ve been put off by the horror stories of projects…

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are TV stars well on their way to ‘national treasure’ status. I’ve photographed them for various magazines at different stages of their career and have got to know them quite well. While many comedians and entertainers have a darker side and are much more complicated than their public persona suggests, Ant & Dec are exactly as you’d expect. They’re both talented and likeable people, and every time I’ve met them they have been absolutely lovely. They never behave like prima donnas and have always given me what I’ve needed. They are two really good friends and that’s what has helped them endure as a professional partnership, while often being surrounded by a maelstrom of showbiz disfunctionality. I first photographed them for a teen magazine called…

DJI adds 4K Phantom drone DJI has unveiled a Phantom 4 Advanced drone with increased processing powers that permits 4K video shooting at 60fps. The more powerful in-camera video processing now supports H.264 4K videos at 60fps or H.265 4K at 30fps, both with a 100Mbps bitrate. There is also a Phantom 4 Advanced+ version with a built-in 5.5in 1080p screen on the controller. To find out more visit www.dji.com. Fujifilm firmware offers video extras Two major firmware updates are planned for the Fujifilm X-Pro2 and X-T2 cameras in May. Key upgrades include activation of the Eye Sensor in video recording (X-T2 only), change of ISO sensitivity during video recording (X-T2), and re-autofocusing in video recording (both cameras). For details click on ‘Support’ at www.fujifilm.com. Atomos Ninja Inferno boosts GH5…

Ryan Hardman, Paignton Ryan's parents bought him his first camera as he was keen to document his main hobby at the time: skateboarding. After a few years' break from photography, he recently picked up his camera once again and decided to enrol in college and, more recently university, to study photography. As you can see here, he has a particular penchant for street photography. ‘I love talking to people in the street and urban environment,' says Ryan. ‘But being able to capture a person's style and fashion is my true love.' In the future, he'd like to exhibit his work around the local area and perhaps branch out to London galleries. 1 Bacon As with much of the best street photography, Ryan has caught a strange confluence of subject and…

Thoughtful Bride by Steve Tomaszewski Canon EOS 5DS, 24-70mm, 1/200sec at f/5, ISO 1600 Not every portrait has to be the result of meticulous planning. Sometimes happy accidents can lead to brilliant results. This is one such example from photographer Steve Tomaszewski, who uploaded this image to our Flickr page. ‘This shot is from a session with a friend who specialises in wedding hair,' says Steve. ‘I originally rejected the image as it was just taken to check the lighting. But then, on later inspection, I noticed the faraway look in Nia's face as she relaxed between formal shots and decided it would make an interesting image. I then edited the image in Photoshop CC and this was the result.' Win! Each week we choose our favourite picture on Facebook,…

I've changed my mind about megapixels. The number of them, that is. I used to go along with the mantra that they really don't matter, and that pixel counting and peeping was the preserve of folk with nothing better to do. I now realise I formed this view back at the dawn of digital on finding that, in spite of their low pixel counts, the best early digital cameras could turn in pretty sharp results. The 2004 Nikon D70, for example, with its 6-megapixel sensor, produced very acceptable A4 prints without any creeping sense of pixel deprivation. Back then, there were usually so many other factors to worry about – shutter lag, colour fringing, low-light performance and unusual colour reproduction, for example. And there was still the traditional but no…

How to clean up a background ALAN Warriner took this using a 70-300mm zoom lens, a good choice for candid street photography. The image was taken using the widest 70mm setting. It would have made sense to zoom in slightly to focus on the main area of interest. However, it was easy enough in Camera Raw to crop the image. The tricky part was removing the prominent sign in the window. I opened the image in Photoshop and cloned the window reflections to cover up the sign and used a vector layer mask to constrain the retouching work to within the area inside the window. 1 Basic panel adjustments To begin, I went to the Basic panel, where I adjusted the tone sliders to lighten the exposure slightly and add…

Lightweight and portable, the Manfrotto PIXI EVO boasts two different leg angles with a sliding selector enabling you to shoot ground-level images. It’s adjustable, with two-section legs featuring five different steps that adapt the footprint to uneven surfaces. With a payload of 2.5kg, you can tilt the camera 90° to capture incredible images. Submit your images Please see the ‘Send us your pictures’ section on page 3 for details or visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/portfolio NOTE: PRIZE APPLIES TO UK AND EU RESIDENTS ONLY…

Support for tethering (X-T2 only) In the next firmware update, X-T2 users will be issued with support for computer tethering using the camera's inbuilt Wi-Fi connectivity. Addition of ‘All’ AF mode (X-T2 only) Users will have the option to select ‘All' in the AF mode so that you can select the AF mode and Focus Area size by only using the Command Dial. Function extension (X-T2 only) Fujifilm X-T2 users will be able to specify different settings for AF-S and AF-C in ‘Shutter AF' and for AF-S / MF and AF-C in ‘Shutter AE'. EVF’s brightness setting Additional options of -6 and -7 will be added to the EVF Brightness setting so that, even in extremely low-light conditions, the brightness of the EVF does not distract you from shooting. The…

This year the RPS International Photography Exhibition (IPE) marks its 160th edition, making it the longest running photographic exhibition of its kind. Professional and amateur photographers from all over the world can submit photos, and a panel of experts will select the best. The competition is calling for entries of engaging, visually striking and inspiring work across all genres. Up to four images can be submitted online – £30 for non-members, £20 for members and £15 for under 30s. The competition closes on 24 May 2017. This year the panel includes, amongst others, Karin Bareman, exhibitions & projects organiser for Autograph ABP; Zelda Cheatle curator, editor, lecturer and consultant in photography; and Ingrid Pollard photographer, media artist and researcher. The main exhibition will open as part of PHOTOBLOCK at The…

Angela Nicholson Photographer and journalist Angela Nicholson started reviewing gear for Amateur Photographer backin 2004. She has survived a few scrapes in her time, testing everything from backpacks and medium-format cameras to software and hard drives. Visit www.angelanicholson.com 1 Physical damage to your camera/lens Probably the thing that photographers fear more than anything is dropping their precious camera and/or lens, and causing some expensive damage. It usually means an end to the shoot as well as a significant repair bill. If your camera or lens should suffer physical damage, your first port of call should be an approved service centre. These centres have all the necessary training and knowhow as well as access to any parts that may be needed. In most cases they will take a look at your…

With such a plethora of landscape images out there, it can be hard for a photographer to know what to do to stand out. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with shooting landscapes we’ve seen before, so long as you explore fresh perspectives. Every landscape has plenty to offer and more often than not is home to secrets that have, thus far, gone unexplored. One recent advance in technology that promises to reveal at least some of them, is the drone. It used to be that aerial photography was the preserve of those with enough money to jump on board a light aircraft and shoot the vast landscapes beneath its wings. However, drones are now becoming affordable, meaning that more of us can finally see what the world from several hundred feet…

The 180° shutter rule Film cameras use rotary shutters, so by changing the angle of the rotary shutter you can change the duration of the exposure. For natural-looking motion in video, the shutter speed should be twice the shooting rate. For example, if you're shooting at 25fps the shutter speed should be around 1/50sec. If the shutter speed that's double your frame rate isn't available, choose the nearest one – so for 60fps go for 1/125sec. If you shoot slower than the 180° shutter rule your footage will show motion blur, which can look odd and cause loss in detail. If you shoot at a faster shutter speed (hence a smaller shutter angle) this can create a stuttering, robotic-like motion in your footage. Both can be used for dramatic effect.…

VECTOR masks are just another way of masking an image. Instead of painting on a pixel mask to edit the contents of a layer or layer set, you can use a vector path instead. In the example shown here, I created a pen path that precisely defined the outline of the Spitfire aircraft, where the path shape was set to ‘Subtract Shape' mode. I then selected the sky image layer above the Spitfire layer. With the path I had just created selected in the Paths panel, I clicked on the Add Layer Mask button at the bottom of the Layers panel to add an empty pixel layer mask and then clicked a second time to add a vector layer mask, based on the selected path. This masked the contents of…

Meike Speedlite MK320 Andy Westlake reviews an inexpensive flash unit that’s ideal for small cameras • About £55 Accessories A stand and a somewhat flimsy plastic diffuser are included, and fit into the drawstring carry pouch. Locking shoe A rotary collar locks the metal hotshoe onto the camera. LED lights Three small LEDs above the flash tube can be used for AF assist or as supplementary video lighting, controlled by pressing the power button. Power The unit is powered by two AA-size batteries that live behind a sturdy sprung plastic cover. USB charge NiMH batteries can be recharged internally via the Micro USB connector. At a glance • Bounce and swivel head • TTL or manual control • For most camera systems RECENTLY there's been a clear trend for cameras…

JUST AS this issue went to press, we caught up with Fujifilm X-T2 and X-Pro2 user Jeff Carter to find out what the firmware means to a pro sports photographer. Asked the question of how pleased he was to receive updates for both his cameras he replies, ‘I'm always happy to receive firmware updates. As a Fujifilm professional, I'm regularly asked to feed my findings back to Japan. We tend to find the things that sometimes the average user wouldn't find or think about. The simple fact is that 99% of the time the updates are to increase the performance of the cameras, not to solve issues or bugs.' Jeff goes onto explain some of the most important updates for his style of work, saying, ‘When you're processing images quickly…

‘Photography is a glimpse, how something was for a moment, frozen for all time’ Do you ever look at a picture, immediately and instinctively like it, and then find it quite hard to say why? I do, and this image is one of them. The first thing that occurs to me is that I have a weakness for what you might call glimpses; for things that are partially or fleetingly seen. If all of Álfheiður’s face were visible, it would not have the same highly specific magic. From this comes the thought that all photography is a glimpse. It’s how something was for a moment, from a single viewpoint, frozen for all time. Then it is shared – it is not possessed. This is another magic: the magic of photography.…