Innholdsfortegnelse for 20-May-2017 i Amateur Photographer

There’s a great expression we heard recently on AP – ‘pay and display photography.’ This refers to people who can afford to jet off to exotic places and then love to show off their images of the locals and associated beauty spots. Now, there is nothing wrong with heading to far-flung places if you have the cash, but you shouldn’t forget that great photographs can also be found on your doorstep. This issue’s cover feature helps you take better shots locally, from planning a neighbourhood project to shooting the very familiar in creative new ways. Meanwhile, we put Canon’s powerful new SLR through its paces and reveal why Google’s Pixel phone is (or should be) giving Apple and Samsung sleepless nights when it comes to camera performance. JOIN US ONLINE…

Somewhere Becoming Sea In this exhibition international artists work with moving images and take a closer look at the ever-changing boundaries between land and sea. The exhibition looks at Hull’s long-standing prominence as a gateway to the North Sea and beyond. Until 17 June, www.humberstreetgallery.co.uk Revisiting the Coal Coast Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen’s photographs explore the ‘terrible beauty of Durham’s coal-scarred coastline’. The wreckage of the mining industry that defined a culture lies strewn across its beaches, discarded. Konttinen’s images document this detritus through a series of beautifully strange images. Until 8 July, www.amber-online.com An Interval of Time An Interval of Time is the second annual exhibition by the New Photographers Guild, a photographic mentoring initiative led by Elaine Livingstone, Claire Stewart and James Pfaff in association with…

INCREDIBLY popular photo-sharing app Instagram has reached a milestone of 700 million active users – and only looks to be picking up speed, after acquiring 100 million users in just over four months. It has been successfully fending off the advances of other popular photography apps, such as Snapchat, by taking its first steps into live video, disappearing messages and launching daily ‘Instagram Stories'. In a blog post made by the Facebook-owned giant, Instagram wrote of its successes, ‘We've made it even easier for people across the globe to join the Instagram community, share their experiences and strengthen connections to their friends and passions.'…

Tripod tribulations I have just been re-reading the ‘Lose Your Tripod' issue (AP, 1 April). The only times I have damaged any of my camera equipment in more than 50 years of dabbling with photography occurred when I was using a tripod. In the late 1980s at Loch Lomond, my tripod, with my cherished Pentax MX mounted on top, keeled over while my back was turned. It hit a rock, and the camera's top-plate and shutter speed dial were damaged. Then at Coniston Water in the late 1990s, the same tripod, this time with my Pentax MZ-5 on top, fell over and the lens copped it against another rock. The MX was repaired, but the lens on the MZ-5 was a write-off. After the second episode, I decided not to…

Fujifilm introduced a new feature called ‘AF-C Custom Settings' in the AF/MF Setting page of the X-T2's menu designed to help you tailor the response of the autofocus system to suit specific subjects or shooting conditions. It's proved a popular addition, and has subsequently been included in the X-T20's feature set. Both cameras have five preset AF-C Custom Settings – Set 1 Multipurpose, Set 2 Ignore Obstacles & Continue to Track Subject, Set 3 For Accelerating/Decelerating Subject, Set 4 For Suddenly Appearing Subject and Set 5 For Erratically Moving & Accel/Decel Subject. Each option sets specific settings for three focus tracking parameters, Tracking Sensitivity, Speed Tracking Sensitivity and Zone Area Switching. Tracking Sensitivity Tracking Sensitivity determines how long the camera waits before adjusting focus when another object enters the focus…

There is no single definition of what constitutes a toy camera, but most would agree that the Diana falls into this category – it certainly wasn't intended for serious photography, yet is quite capable of taking pictures. If you're under the age of 40, the chances are that mention of the Diana camera will bring to mind the cute plastic camera marketed by the Lomography people. Those of us old enough to remember the 1960s might recall the original Dianas. Lomography makes no secret of the fact that its offering is basically a clone of the original with a few added features, but the cheap feel and plastic lens, together with the pale-blue colour scheme make this an instantly recognisable camera. My grandmother gave me one as a birthday present…

The Cuillin Window by David Ball Canon EOS 5DS R, 16-35mm, 15 seconds at f/7.1, ISO 200 The Isle of Skye in Scotland is a popular haunt of landscape photographers for good reason. It is a truly gorgeous location with so much to offer. This is a superb example from David Ball who uploaded this image to our Flickr page using the hashtag #appicoftheweek. ‘While on a recent trip to the Isle of Skye, I decided to visit the fairy pools where I noticed a cascade of waterfalls that are rarely photographed,' says David. ‘After exploring the area I noticed this composition, which really caught my eye. I used the running water to frame the amazing backdrop of the Cuillin mountains.' Win! Each week we choose our favourite picture on…

‘Just hold a Pentax' was a memorable SLR advertising slogan of the1970s. Most photography students from then on held one Pentax in particular: the Pentax K1000. This manual, uncluttered, mechanical, robust 35mm SLR lacked only the near-essential depth-of-field preview button. Some three million were made. College, university and school photographic departments bought them, and many would like a modern equivalent. You can find them second-hand, still working (but beware cheap lookalikes), as you can the ever-robust Mamiya RB67 that introduced many a student to medium-format's quality. There was also the Nikon FM and Minolta, as well as Canon's own equally significant equivalents – all of which shaped modern DSLR design. I recently sold some film SLRs on eBay, primarily to young buyers. Research confirms my experience: young photographers are enjoying…

You answered… A Digital camera 43% B Film camera 15% C Lenses 31% DAccessories 5% EI never buy secondhand 6% What you said ‘I try, where possible, to buy everything secondhand. Why pay for the depreciation when plenty of others are willing to do it for you?’ ‘All my cameras and most of my lenses are secondhand. Accessories not so much, because I’ve usually found the savings are not worth it.’ ‘I bought a Canon EOS 5D Mark III bundle with three kit lenses and a shed-load of accessories from an eBay seller in the US. It all worked perfectly, and there was no delay in delivery.’ ‘Mostly, no. I find that the rate of change makes new digital camera gear more appealing than older kit.’ ‘I buy from a…

Stuart Freedman Stuart Freedman has been a photographer for more than 25 years, covering stories from Albania to Haiti. His work has been featured in many high-profile titles including The Sunday Times and Newsweek. In 1999 he was selected for the Agfa Young Photojournalist of the Year. Visit www.stuartfreedman.com . Pie and mash The Englishman and the Eel is a journey into the culture of that most London of institutions, the eel, pie and mash shop. In a sense it follows on from my last book, The Palaces of Memory, which was about the forgotten spaces of the Indian coffee houses – my shelter during 20 years of working and sometimes living in India. The palaces reminded me of my own past growing up in Hackney in the 1970s and,…

1 Makeup Dent’s makeup is typical of the time, the eyes being the main focus thanks to heavy eyeliner, eye shadow and false lashes, which we’ve tried to replicate. Take an umbrella to protect the model from the elements, as hair and makeup can be ruined in seconds. 2 Light A reflector was key to providing catch-lights in the eye, and sufficient fill-in light to the model’s face and garments. We used a white reflector but had a silver one handy in case the light levels dropped and we needed to add some more punch to the lighting. 3 Shooting in public Shooting in a public place can be tricky. With a large number of people milling around, shooting with a tripod is not an option. Get a friend to…

KIT LIST Wideangle lens A wideangle is essential and if you have one, a wide tilt shift lens for shots of the Abbey. A 70-200mm zoom will also be useful for the more distant shots. Long lens If you have one and don't mind carrying it, a long lens such as a 200-500mm would also be useful if wildlife is your thing. A tripod will also come in handy. Zoom lens If your intention is to walk around the castles and town centre shooting handheld, a wide-to-medium zoom will be ideal, a 16-35mm or 24-70mm perhaps. THE sleepy market town of Sherborne lies in The Blackmore Vale on the banks of the River Yeo (don't get excited, it's a dribble) in northwest Dorset and is 19 miles north of the…

CHINESE lens manufacturer Venus Optics has announced the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT, a small wideangle prime designed exclusively for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The lens, which the company revealed at Photokina 2016, will be the widest-angle rectilinear fixed focal-length optic for the system, and features a 46mm filter thread. Both focusing and aperture settings are manual, controlled by traditional analogue rings around the lens barrel. With an angle of view equivalent to 15mm on full frame, the lens measures 50mm in diameter, 55mm in length and weighs a mere 170g in its standard version. Venus Optics says it will also make a lightweight version with a further 20g shaved off the weight, aimed at providing new opportunities for photographers who want to pair the lens up with gimbals or drones…

A DRAMATIC image has been released by the US Army, capturing the final moments of a war photographer's life, taken as she and four Afghan national army soldiers were killed during a live-fire training exercise in 2013. Combat photographer Specialist Hilda Clayton, 22, and an Afghan counterpart she was training were shooting a mortar-use training operation when one of the weapons accidentally exploded directly in front of them. The photographs were released through the US Army's Military Review journal, with the permission of Clayton's family. Her unit has commemorated her by naming a yearly award for the best in the field of combat photography in her honour – the Specialist Hilda I Clayton Best Combat Camera competition. For the latest news visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk…

Amateur or pro? Now that AP is using Photocrowd as its new platform to enter APOY, I have a few concerns. Are some of the entrants being as honest as they should be with regards to their professional status, and are AP checking this? When a £1,000 carrot is dangled in front of some people it may tempt them to not be so honest despite ticking the box. I have been looking at a number of the pictures entered and made a few background checks myself, and I'm suspicious about a few as they advertise themselves as professional photographers on other websites and their own. Also, I don't think the crowd vote should be included in the overall winner. D, via email This has always been a difficult issue to…

1 Fujifilm X-T2 This was purchased as a light alternative to my DSLR kit for long walks or wild camps. Having been blown away by the image quality and usability of the camera it soon became my number one choice. I have since sold all my DSLR kit to buy more Fujifilm equipment. 2 Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM IOS WR and Teleconverter XF 2X TC W Although this is a heavy lens, it oozes quality. It is ideal for picking out details from a distance, or for compressing the landscape. The teleconverter simply doubles the range of the lens for when I want to get even closer. This saves carrying an extra lens, while only sacrificing a couple of f-stops. 3 Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR The 16-55mm…

Broad appeal SHERBORNE and its castles are great to shoot in the spring. The trees are turning green, bluebells add colour to the woodland floor and the apple and cherry blossom is at its prime. Given blue skies and fluffy white clouds or an early start with mist hanging around the old castle there are landscape shots to be taken, close-up shots galore, and plenty for the architectural photographer. No specialist kit is required, it is a good all-round location that will appeal to a broad cross-section of photographers. A distant view Look to the footpaths around Sherborne for a slightly more distant view, perhaps try the small hill to the south, which gives an elevated view of the town. The small meadow in front of this hill tends to…

Our cameras and lenses are tested using the industry-standard Image Engineering IQ-Analyser software. Visit www.image-engineering.de for more details Overall, the 800D produced a solid set of lab test results. Resolution was the clear standout, with the sensor returning an excellent set of images despite Canon's decision to retain an optical low-pass filter. While JPEGs returned decent enough results, we found that using Adobe Camera Raw to sharpen raw images ourselves yielded better results. Dynamic range has been improved from the two-year-old 750D/760D models, too, with the 800D returning slightly higher figures than its predecessors across the camera's sensitivity range. Dynamic range At ISO 100, the 800D returned a dynamic range of 12.5EV, which is nearly a full stop higher than the 750D’s figure of 11.6EV and almost identical to the…

What is sharpening? Q I feel I have got the hang of producing good images since I invested in my first DSLR 18 months ago. Before that I was simply a ‘snap' shooter using a rather old and inexpensive Pentax Optio compact digital camera. I am discovering how to benefit from adjusting various image processing parameters including saturation, shadows, and highlights and colour temperature. But there is one option that I honestly still don't fully understand: sharpening. I realise I can control the intensity of the sharpening effect through the ‘Amount' value, but I haven't a clue what the radius, detail and masking parameters do. Kelly Unsworth A Sharpening is all about adjusting the contrast between pixels along boundaries or edges of lighter and darker areas of detail in your…

Although this is Bristol, it could be anywhere. This is a large part of the appeal of the picture and why I chose it. So much is typical: the shabby brick, the dirty foliage, the apparently broken window, the industrial-looking background, the slightly wonky curves and indeed straights that mark it out as an old, run-down urban railway. Then again, although I say ‘it could be anywhere’, the unusual layout of the lines might give the game away to railway lovers: it was laid out in 1835 as part of a horse-drawn tramway. Another large part of its appeal is the deceptively mundane composition. It is reminiscent of the Düsseldorf/Neue Sachlichkeit school of so-called ‘objective’ photography, without the emphasis on extreme technical quality. In fact, it’s pretty much a snapshot,…