Innholdsfortegnelse for 15-Jul-2017 i Amateur Photographer

Getting sharper shots is one of the holy grails of modern photography, so it’s a bit surprising that more enthusiasts don’t make use of focus stacking. When used properly, focus stacking can be a great way of combining images to ensure razor-sharp results and maximum depth of field; it may sound complicated, but as our guide on page 14 shows, it’s actually quite straightforward and well worth giving a try. Hardware wise, we’ve got a full review of Canon’s affordable and attractive new full-frame SLR, the EOS 6D Mark II as well as Michael Topham’s first look at the company’s EOS M6. Fans of nostalgia will also lap up our celebration of Polaroid, beginning on page 20. Enjoy! JOIN US ONLINE amateurphotographer. co.uk Facebook.com/Amateur. photographer.magazine flickr.com/groups/ amateurphotographer @AP_Magazine amateurphotographer magazine…

Scotland’s Far North These three bodies of work from the late 1970s provide a unique insight into Scotland’s remote landscape, islands and people. Three photographers: Glyn Satterley, Chick Chalmers and Tom Kidd, bring a candid and sympathetic eye to the country. Until 27 August, www.streetlevelphotoworks.org/ event/scotlands-far-north Lightroom for Landscapes This workshop will cover a complete landscape photography workflow, using the library and develop modules. It will be led by Julian Rouse LRPS, an Adobe Lightroom certified expert, and include reviewing and choosing images, exposure, curves, lens corrections, sharpening and exposure matching. 23 July, www.rps.org/events Larry Herman Sometimes it takes an outsider’s perspective to reveal the true character of a location and the people who inhabit it. On show at the Paisley Gallery in Scotland…

LOUPEDECK, a purpose-built console for controlling Adobe's Lightroom photo-editing suite, will be available in the UK from 17 July. Designed and built by a team of former Nokia developers, Loupedeck is a custom-built hardware console that provides complete control of Lightroom. In a similar way to a DJ's mixing desk, the console's scrolling wheels, dials and buttons enable users to edit photos and images faster and without the distraction of a keyboard or mouse. Loupedeck is designed to work with both Mac-and Windows-based computers and, since the layout of the deck corresponds directly to Lightroom's interface, it should prove useful for beginners and professionals alike. Priced £325, it is available from www.loupedeck.com.…

Obama: The Call of History by Peter Baker, Abrams, £35, 320 pages, hardback, ISBN: 978-0935112900 PETER BAKER is a man with a distinctive and authoritative insight into the Obama administration. For some time he has been The New York Times chief White House correspondent as well as a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine. This voluminous pictorial biography covers Obama's eight years in the White House and is notable for the absolute depth of research, not just in its words, but also in the incredible array of images taken by a variety of photographers. Baker was a man with privileged access to the ins and outs of the President's life and as such we get perhaps the first real insight into his sometimes successful and sometimes troubled time.…

Having clocked up 45 years in photography, I've been reading with amusement, and some dismay, the ongoing debate about raw vs JPEG. The fact is, raw files contain more information than any other image file format, perhaps with the exception of Adobe Digital Negative (DNG). Adobe DNG can embed the original raw file, but it is proprietary, and although I do not see Adobe restricting use of DNG, I prefer to stand on the other side of this fence. The advantages and disadvantages have been well argued by many experts over the years, but the fact remains that ideally one should not only shoot in raw but also keep the raw file if at all possible. Now, this may not be necessary for the many who have no real need…

The effort lies in the careful assembly of the images on location. The software, available from www.heliconsoft.com, makes easy work of the render, but just like panoramic stitching, there must be a generous overlap between each shot. This composite (right) consists of 12 images taken at f/2.8, a total of six to seven minutes' exposure, so choosing the right moment was crucial. I began when the clouds and aurora were in the right place. It's a classic image of Kirkjufell mountain in Iceland. 1 Synchronise settings First, make sure that you have your stack of images selected in your raw processor and work on the first image in the sequence. Lift the levels, make any corrections you need to and then synchronise the settings across to the other images in…

Have you ever wondered why instant-picture cameras are called Polaroids? The story starts in 1926 when 17-year-old Harvard University student Edwin Land was walking along Broadway in New York City. Dazzled by the headlamps of passing cars, he wondered how polarising materials might be used to reduce the glare for drivers. Taking leave from university, he began his research. Within two years, he had found a method of producing flat sheets of polarising material. Land returned to Harvard but finally left in 1932 without taking his degree. (The university later awarded him his honorary doctorate of science.) He set up a company for optical research and the production of polarising material, and within five years, the company had become the Polaroid Corporation, from whence came the name of the cameras…

James Paterson James Paterson is as skilled a photo editor as he is a photographer. His work has appeared in countless magazines and books, and in 2014 he was appointed editor of Practical Photoshop magazine. His subjects range from portraits to landscapes, architecture and underwater scenes. For James, Photoshop is more than just a work tool. Visit www.patersonphotos.com. 1 What are presets? Sometimes referred to as ‘recipes' for your photos, presets are simply saved settings – like this Creamtone effect – that can be used on any image with a single click. They can save you time and speed up monotonous tasks. With presets, you only have to do something once, then automate it forever after. 2 The Preset Panel This panel sits to the left of the Develop Module.…

Eco mode To preserve battery life, the camera has an Eco mode. This turns the display off and powers the camera down much faster when it’s not in use but keeps it switched on. Lenses As things stand Canon currently produces seven EF-M lenses for the EOS M6. Pair it up with the EF-EOS M mount adapter however and it suddenly becomes compatible with more than 80 lenses from Canon’s EF-S and EF lens range. 5-axis Digital IS This is available for video recording, meaning footage is stabilised even when using non-IS lenses. The electronic stabilisation can be combined with optical stabilisation when using compatible EF-M or EF-S lenses. Customisation Head into the camera’s C.Fn II: Others option in the menu and you’re given the option to customise the camera’s…

Zip opening Double-pull zips are used to access the main bag and front pocket Shoulder pad Grippy and well padded, this makes the bag comfortable to carry End pocket An elasticated expandable pocket can be folded away when not in use Tripod holder Two leather straps on the front can hold a lightweight travel tripod, or perhaps an umbrella At a glance • Slimline shoulder bag • For a DSLR and 2-3 lenses • Pocket for 13in laptop • £129.95 • www.manfrotto.co.uk WHILE Manfrotto is still best known for its tripods, more recently it has started to make camera bags for seemingly every taste. Its Windsor collection is a set of classically styled bags in olive and grey fabric with dark-brown leather detailing. The Reporter is a slimline shoulder bag…

I find the latest camera from Leica – the M10 – interesting for a number of reasons, starting with its name. Back in 2012, Leica announced it was ending the numbering of its M-series cameras (and in fact all its cameras). Henceforth, they would be known as ‘Leica M' – although since it is clearly necessary to distinguish different types of M camera, the company adopted a different numbering system. The full name of the new ‘M' was ‘M (Typ 240).' There followed some variants, the ‘M (Typ 246)' with a monochrome sensor and the ‘M (Typ 262). The ‘Typ 262' was notable for what it didn't have. It no longer had video capability, nor did it allow live view on the rear screen. Rangefinder limitations This latter feature is…

‘There’s a clear reference to the taxonomic or classificatory school of photography’ Words and pictures can be a dangerous mixture, not only for their strengths but also for their weaknesses. Dzhangal, by Gideon Mendel, is a brilliant book and exhibition. It is just as well that it is brilliant, as it is grievously open to charges of recursive pretentiousness. First, do you know what dzhangal means? I didn’t. In Pashtun, it apparently means, ‘This is the forest’. Hindi and Marathi use the word jangal in a similar sense, from the Sanskrit jangala, to mean empty or dry ground. In English, the same root is the origin of the word ‘jungle’. Second, do you know where they speak Pashtun (also known as Pushtu and Pashto)? Full marks for Afghanistan and Khyber…

Time-lapse There’s a 4K time-lapse movie mode that works in the same way as the HD time-lapse mode on the EOS 7D Mark II Autofocus The working range of the EOS 6D Mark II’s new 45-point AF system is the same as before. It’s sensitive across a range of -3EV to 18EV Screen The 3in, 1,040k-dot vari-angle touchscreen lets you work easily from high and low angles. It’ll be well received by EOS users SD card slot The EOS 6D Mark II has a single SD card slot. For dual card slots look at the 5D Mark III or 5D Mark IV At a glance ■ 26.2MP Full frame CMOS sensor ■ ISO 100-40,000 ■ DIGIC 7 image processor ■ Dual Pixel CMOS AF ■ 45-point AF system ■ 7,560-pixel…

Is it art? I always love Roger Hicks' Final Analysis, and this week (AP, 24 June) it's Roger's view about artists who use photography, and whether they are artists, that prompted my response. The question of just what art is and whether photography is an art has raged for years. Art itself was redefined by Duchamp's ‘readymades', Rauschenberg's assemblages of found objects and Man Ray's wrapped objects to be any thing or activity the artist chooses to call art. This is now the generally accepted definition. Artists are therefore self-defining. Man Ray hated being called a photographer because it was only part of what he did as an artist. Whether we think art is art doesn't matter, nor is it ever clear-cut. I thought I'd send one of my images…

Johan J Ingles-Le Nobel Johan J Ingles-Le Nobel is a Pentax Ambassador and macro specialist. He is the author of extreme-macro.co.uk , which features detailed focus stacking tutorials, macro calculators and equipment reviews. Johan also offers full and half-day focus stacking and extreme macro workshops. For more information visit www.extreme-macro.co.uk . Focus stacking is a photo technique that involves combining sharp, in-focus elements of a number of pictures, to produce one composite image. This composite has far more elements in focus than would be possible in a single frame, regardless of the depth of field used for that frame. Focus stacking is a relatively new technique and is possible only because of digital photography: trying to combine the parts of several dozen negatives in the darkroom would not be practical.…

1948 Model 95 The first viable instant-picture camera had a bed that opened on hinges, from which the lens panel extended on bellows. The panel moved backwards and forwards for focusing, and a release at its base made the exposure. The camera offered apertures of f/11-f/45 and shutter speeds of 1/8-1/60sec, controlled by a single thumbwheel set into the lens panel. Turning this gave speed and aperture combinations designated by numbers – from 1, which gave 1/8sec at f/11 – to 8, which gave 1/60sec at f/45. 1963 Automatic 100 The first camera to use peel-apart film was also the world’s first with an electronic shutter coupled to an automatic exposure system. As the first shutter blade opened, a transistorised exposure system began measuring light through the lens, while an…

New Billingham travel bags Camera-bag manufacturer Billingham is venturing into the leisure market with a new range of travel bags, designed and made in England. The range launches with Weekender, Overnight, Thomas Briefcase and laptop bags, starting at £185. All bags are available from www.billingham.co.uk and select retailers. Lensbaby reveals the latest Velvet Lensbaby’s latest manual focus lens is the Velvet 85. At 85mm f/1.8, it’s a follow-up to the Velvet 56, known for producing lustrous skin tones and a pleasantly crisp, film-like aesthetic. This new lens has the smooth bokeh expected of 85mm lenses and is priced £385 (approx). See www.lensbaby.com. Parr steps down as Magnum president After three-and-a-half years, British photographer Martin Parr has stepped down as the president of Magnum Photos. He has been replaced by the…

ORIGINALLY designed to meet the needs of the film industry, Lee Filters’ ProGlass IRND range is now available in sizes to fit the Seven5, 100mm and SW150 systems. Made from 2mm-thick optically flat glass, new coating technology means the range is available in 2 (0.6ND), 3 (0.9ND), 4 (1.2ND) and 6 (1.8ND) stops, but also in ultra-long 10- (3ND) and 15-stop (4.5ND) versions. In addition, filters in the ProGlass IRND range are designed to block both infrared and ultraviolet pollution, so blacks should be rendered truly black, whites should be clean and all of it should be crisp. The 6-, 10- and 15-stop versions come with a foam seal to prevent light leaks during long exposures. All the filters in the range can be used with other filters, including neutral-density…

You answered… A 50 miles 22% B 100 miles 21% C 200 miles 10% D Happy to drive any distance to get the shot! 47% What you said ‘I have frequently made round tips of 200-300 miles to get a photo that I envisaged – not infrequently having to repeat the trip several times because the light was not quite right when I got there!’ ‘In the spirit of things I’ve chosen the “any distance” option, although I’d add the proviso that it’d probably have to involve a bit of a stay-over somewhere afterwards. I say “in the spirit of things” because I don’t drive – but I’ll assume the question refers to any suitable modes of transport!’ ‘It can also be a measure of the priority photography takes in…

Tripod If you’re stacking outside, mount your stage on a tripod to ensure stability throughout the stack sequence. Focus stacking stage There’s a range of options, from relatively cheap eBay imports to precision electronic stages. Extreme macro lens You can start out with a Raynox on a standard kit 50-200mm zoom, but as you venture into greater magnification, you may find yourself buying enlarger lenses on eBay or high-end Mitutoyo objectives. Lighting You’re likely to want to supplement natural light with flash or some form of continuous lighting. Software There is a range of free software out there that will perform stacking, but for professional-looking results, Zerene Stacker or Helicon Focus can’t be beaten.…

Round Two Street photography MARCO Tagliarino from India is the winner of Round Two of APOY 2017. He takes home a Sigma dp2 Quattro and VF-41 viewfinder. Sigma has rethought and redesigned every aspect of the dp2 Quattro camera including the sensor, engine, lens and body. While retaining its famous detail rendition, the updated Foveon direct image sensor produces images that are richer, deeper and more faithful than ever. Complementing the Sigma dp2 Quattro's LCD screen, the VF-41 is an optical external finder that attaches to the camera via its hotshoe. That's a total prize value of £1,099.98. 1 Marco Tagliarino India 50pts Canon EOS 60D, 24-105mm, 1/25sec at f/6.3, ISO 100 ‘It's always interesting to see the diverse images that are entered into photography competitions. I love the little…

JUST as we've seen on previous EOS M cameras, Canon has incorporated Wi-Fi into the EOS M6, with Dynamic NFC for pairing with compatible devices. Canon's Wi-Fi connectivity is well-advanced and while its primary use will be to send images to smartphones or tablets, it can also be used to take remote control of the camera when it's paired with Canon's intuitive and easy-to-use Camera Connect app that's free to download on iOS and Android. Aside from being able to connect to a smartphone or tablet for image sharing and remote control, the EOS M6 can also send images directly to compatible printers, or be used to show off your images on a smart TV without having to plug in a cable. In addition, Canon has included Bluetooth connectivity to…